Unexpected
by Tonks Ozog
Summary: Ron is dead, the Weasleys blame Hermione and Harry chooses them over her. Alone and friendless, Hermione finds a home with possibly the most unexpected person.
1. chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione's eyes were bloodshot and full of tears as she gazed at the slab of stone that bore the name of one of her best friends, wondering how everything had gone so wrong. She had known he was damaged after the death of Fred, taken from them all during the war, but never in a million years would she have expected something like this to happen.

The sky was grey with storm clouds as she stood alone at his graveside. She thought back to their last conversation and how she had assumed he was being overly dramatic when he said his life wasn't worth living. She wondered what would have happened if she'd taken him just that little bit more seriously. Would he still be here?

It was six months after the war and things were still going so horribly wrong. It was ironic, really. They had fought so hard to live a better life and now her life was rapidly falling apart in front of her. With Ron gone and the Weasleys laying the blame firmly with her, she was alone.

Harry had told her that he didn't blame her, that he could be held as accountable as she could for not heeding the warning signs. If they had taken more notice, acted sooner, perhaps they could have changed things. But it was pointless to think of such things now, as Ron was already dead and buried.

The Weasleys hadn't spoken to her since Arthur had found his body, hanging, in his bedroom a month ago. He'd left a note, firmly naming her as the final catalyst in the journey to the end of a rope. The final push had come from her, he'd said. Molly had said that she may as well have tied the noose.

Hermione was weighed down with guilt for Rons suicide. He may have been the one to take that last action, but it was her words and feelings that took away his final will to live. He had said that he loved her, that she was the reason he woke up in the morning, and she had turned away from him.

But she couldn't bring herself to lie to him, and she shouldn't have to either. She couldn't force feelings to be there or not. She had obviously harboured feelings for the redhead through the years, but it had settled into familial affection, like a brother, like Harry.

Harry, who had said he didn't blame her, yet had chosen to side with the Weasleys for fear that they would shut him out, too. She wasn't angry at him, but she was definitely disappointed that he had chosen to walk away from their years of friendship. That was his choice though, and now she had to make hers.

She had no idea where to go. Usually she would turn to the very family that had just lost its second son, but that was out of the question. Her parents were dead, having died in a car crash while oblivious to her existence and she had no other real friends to speak of. Should she stay in the magical world, where she was sure that gossip was currently spreading that she had essentially signed Ron Weasleys death warrant? Was it worth it when she was completely alone?

In the distance, Hermione heard a clap of thunder and the sky lit up with fork lightning. Knowing that the skies would open up and she would get drenched if she stayed here, she left the graveside and walked to the edge of the Burrows wards before dissappearing.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo Nott gazed around the Three Broomsticks from the relative privacy of his corner table, wondering what the customers were drinking to. Perhaps that blonde, smiling man at the bar was celebrating a promotion at work. Maybe that black haired woman was drowning her sorrows after her husband left her. The brunette man in the opposite corner to him had probably been toasting the end of the working week, at least he had before he'd passed out in a puddle of his own drool.

The Three Broomsticks was Theo' s favorite haunt, as he was pretty much guaranteed his solitude, and for that he was extremely grateful. Since the demise of Voldemort, he had been subject to hateful glares everywhere he went, and as much as he felt that he fully deserved them for his actions during the war, the public were not aware of the full story.

He had never wanted to be a part of the horrible things that his father had introduced him to. He felt physically sick just thinking of some of the things he had seen, letalone some of the things he had done. No, Theo knew that he deserved the hate, but he had never wanted to do the things people hated him for in the first place.

Draco had bragged to him relentlessly when he got the mark, but Theo was smarter than anyone had ever given him credit for. He saw how depressed and terrified Draco had become during the course of their sixth year and had been desperate to avoid that life for himself.

Unfortunately, his father had volunteered him for the honour of being marked at Christmas during seventh year. Voldemort had taken the place of Santa clause that year, giving him what his father called the ultimate gift. The hideous black skull and snake that had adorned his arm ever since.

He had tried so many different ways to try and rid himself of the tattoo. From burning to cutting and even so far as an attempt to cut off his own arm, but Madam Rosmerta had found him and St Mungos had managed to repair the damage, despite his protests and him telling them let the damn thing fall off. Regardless he still had his arm and he still had the bloody mark.

His gaze around the pub came to a grinding halt when a new person walked through the door and went straight to the bar, ordering what appeared to be a whole damn bottle of firewhiskey. He hoped for her sake that she wasn't planning on drinking alone because that amount of alcohol would damn near kill her if she drank the whole bottle.

When the bottle was delivered to her and her galleons paid, she crossed the pub towards him and opted for the table in the opposite corner. Sitting down and shrugging off her coat, she unscrewed the bottle and Theo gaped as she took a full straight from the bottle. She winced, but other than that showed no sign of the telltale burning sensation that followed a sip of the liquor.

Her eyes were swollen and red, and he could tell she had been crying. He genuinely wanted to go over and comfort her but knew that she wouldn't give her the time of day. As he watched, though, fresh tears escaped her eyes and she made no move to brush them off of her face. Well, that forced his hand somewhat and made the decision for him. He stood up and crossed over towards her table, hoping she wouldn't throw the bottle at his head.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo stood silently at the end of the table and watched as she stared blankly into space. She hadn't noticed him approach her and she still hadn't looked at him since he'd come to stop barely two feet away from her. She looked… Broken.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" He asked and she shrugged, though remained silent.

Theo pulled out a chair and sat down, making sure that he was directly opposite her. She had been staring where he was sitting and to his surprise, her gaze didn't wander now that he was here. He wondered whether she saw him at all, or was everything just a big blur to her at this point?

"Bad day?" He asked, trying to get her to talk, to react, to do something.

It seemed to snap her out of whatever reverie she was lost in because her eyes dropped to the whiskey and she took another long gulp from the bottle before looking at him and nodding.

"Bad life." She muttered and his eyebrows shot up towards his hairline.

She was Hermione Granger, Gryffindor princess and heroine of the wizarding world. If anyone should be living in the lap of luxury and opportunity it would be her. He wanted to believe her over dramatic, but something about the emptiness of her eyes and the way she was chugging from the bottle told him differently.

"Want to talk about it?" He offered and she shook her head.

Okay, so she wasn't in a talkative mood. That was understandable to Theo, who could often go weeks without talking to anybody. Rosmerta often served his drink without needing to be told what he wanted and she was his only human contact, more or less. It wasn't a particularly happy existence, but it was a free one, for which he was thankful.

"I have nowhere to go." She told him, frowning as she looked into his eyes.

"That can't be true. What about Pott-" He saw her wince and stopped talking immediately.

So her problem was something to do with Potter and Weasley. That was surprising, he'd always assumed them to be inseparable and unbreakable. She was here alone though, after all, and he hadn't seen either of her friends around.

"You're not planning to drink that entire bottle are you?" He asked as he watched her take another swig and she snorted bitterly.

"What do you care?" She asked, sneering at him and he shrugged.

"I'm not having the Death of the Gryffindor princess on my conscious. Besides, people have seen us together now. If you show up dead from alcohol poisoning, I'm gonna take the wrap for it and I'm not going to Azkaban just because you were determined to literally drown your sorrows." He rushed and she stared at him, her eyes slightly wide in shock. "So share the firewhiskey or I'll have Rosmerta cut you off."

"As if." She snorted. "Get your own."

"But I'd much rather share yours." He said, pointing at her bottle, which was now down to three quarters full.

"No!" She snapped, pulling it closer to herself and he groaned.

"Fine. I'll sit here and watch you get shit faced and deal with you later when you pass out." He told her and she raised her eyebrow.

He watched, growing oddly amused as she pushed herself away from the table and stood on wobbly legs. She moved to the next table and sat facing away from him, clearly hoping he would leave her alone. Fat chance. He got up and moved to sit opposite her on their new table.

"Oh are you following me now?" She snapped and he snorted.

"If you wanted to lose me, I'd suggest moving more than two feet." He chuckled and she scowled at him.

"Why are you so intent on bothering me?" She sighed.

"You said you have nowhere to go," Theo muttered, seizing his chance while she wasn't expecting it and snatching the bottle from her, laughing when she yelped. "Which means that you will probably end up passed out drunk in the snow."

"I'll get a room here." She told him, pointing an unsteady finger in his face.

"Then choke on your own vomit and die because the rooms here don't get checked until 10am?" He asked.

"My god!" She exclaimed suddenly, throwing her arms out to the side, "Do you have any idea how irritating you are?!"

"Yes," he told her, laughing, "It's actually one of my more redeeming qualities."

She fell silent and he found himself feeling glad that he had got her to talk, and apparently taken her mind off of whatever had driven her to the bottle in the first place. She was undoubtedly under the effects of alcohol, now, and he felt more than comfortable to keep the bottle away from her.

"Why do you care?" She repeated her question from earlier.

"Like I said, if you pop your clogs and I'm the last person to be seen with you? That's a one way ticket to the little prison in the middle of the sea." He told her and she sighed, slumping her shoulders.

"That doesn't provide me with somewhere to stay the night." She muttered sadly and he sighed.

"I've got plenty of room at mine. You can stay with me." He grumbled, less than happy with that arrangement but feeling like it was the right thing to do.

"What?!" She shrieked, "I don't even know you!"

"Sure you do. I'm Theo Nott." He grinned.

"No you're bloody not." She said, glaring at him. "Theo Nott was a scrawny little shit who trailed after bloody Malfoy."

"Gee, thanks." He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.

It was true that he looked very little like the boy he had been the last time he had seen her. He had bulked up and his dark brown hair was longer and swept loosely back. His skin, which had once been pale, was now tanned and clear from the hideous acne that had plagued him as a teenager. It was true, Theo had gone through somewhat of a lucky transformation since his school days.

"You're not Nott." She muttered and he chuckled, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I'm not not Nott, either." He grinned and she threw a coaster at him, scowling.

"You're hilarious." Hermione deadpanned and he sighed.

"Look, take one of my spare rooms tonight and I'll let you go off on your merry way tomorrow. Promise." He said and she eyed him warily.

"This isn't some trap to get me killed, is it?" She asked.

"Why would I go to the hassle when you are clearly so intent on doing the job yourself?" He replied, shaking the bottle of whiskey in her face for emphasis.

She groaned and dropped her head down on the table, muttering to herself under her breath while he glanced at the bar, where Rosmerta was watching them carefully. This is why he needed her to be safe, because if she left the pub, passed out in the street and died from hypothermia, there were multiple witnesses that would name him.

"Fine!" She snapped suddenly. "One night, then I'm going back to the muggle world."

Theo raised his eyebrow at her words and wondered whether that was an actual plan of hers or if it was just the drink talking. Surely she couldn't really be leaving the wizarding world? Even he had to admit that she belonged here. She was a phenomenally gifted witch, especially for a muggleborn. It would be a major travesty if she lived out the rest of her life as a muggle.

"Well, no time like the present." He said, standing up and watching as she stood up and promptly fell back down again.

He rolled his eyes and stepped up to her, putting a firm arm around her waist for support and although the initially struggled, she finally gave in and let him support her drunken weight. He nodded to Rosmerta before throwing some powder into the floo and took her home with him. He had a feeling this would result in some unexpected complications in his already rather complicated life.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione knew that she had done something terrible as soon as her hungover mind began to drag her out of her peacefully sleeping state. She refused to open her eyes for a long time, due to the headache that was threatening to split her head in two, and laid in the comfortable bed, trying to remember the night before.

The last thing she remembe-

CRACK.

Hermione screamed at the sudden noise and threw herself upright in bed, opening her eyes to come face to face with a very guilty looking house elf with huge ears that flopped backwards over its head, a long pointed nose and massive bright blue eyes.

"Harvey is sorry to scare you miss." The elf stuttered as Hermione stared at it wide eyed. "Young master Nott asked Harvey to check of miss every hour. Make sure you is still breathing."

Hermione gawped at the elf and then turned to take in the room she had awoken in. It was huge and the walls were half panelled. The vast space was filled with stunning antique furniture and obviously expensive oriental rugs.

"Uh… Harvey, was it?" She asked and the elf nodded happily, his ears flopping back and forth as he did, "Did you say Master Nott?"

"Not the Elder Master Nott miss. I is mentioning young Master." The elf confirmed and Hermione winced. "Would miss likes a potion for her headaches?"

"Uh…" she pondered it and figured what the hell, "Sure. Thank you, Harvey."

The elf bowed and disappeared with the same crack that had scared her and Hermione flopped back on the bed, covering her face. She remembered bits from last night, now, and she knew that she had made a complete fool out of herself in front of someone calling themselves Theo Nott. Who couldn't actually be The Nott. Because the man from the night before was actually very attractive.

She shuddered and shook her head frantically to erase that thought from her mind. That was a bad road to go down and one that she wanted nothing to do with. She hauled herself out of the bed and crossed the huge room, stopping before the window and gasping. For as far as the eye could see, there were hills and trees. It was stunning. And worryingly, quite remote. She jumped as the door opened behind her, spinning around to face the intruder.

"Harvey told me you wanted a potion." The man said, thrusting a vial towards her and not moving from the door.

She hesitantly crossed and took it from him, sniffing it before drinking the entire contents. She immediately felt her headache start to abate. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she turned to look at the man who'd entered her room and found him to be wearing camouflage jogging bottoms and a fitted black tshirt. She recoiled when she saw that his left arm was covered in scars and also…

"The dark mark." She said, pointing at his arm. "So you really are Theo Nott."

Theo chuckled ruefully and nodded, pulling an ornate chair away from a dressing table that Hermione had previously not noticed. He set it down about six feet away from her and sat down, watching her carefully.

"What?" She muttered uncomfortably.

"Nothing. Just glad to see you alive and well, is all." He shrugged and she nodded curtly, turning back towards the window.

"Where are we, anyway?" She asked, turning to face him with her brow furrowed.

"Peak District." He grunted, "Near a ting village called Youlgreave. Not far from Buxton."

Hermione nodded and turned back to the window. She had guessed that this was probably the Peak District, but the national park was huge and she couldn't have known where abouts they were in it. It was beautiful though.

"And this…?" She asked, gesturing around her.

"The house?" He clarified and she nodded, "Nott Hall. My ancestors hideaway."

"Oh." She muttered, gazing at him. "Thank you. I mean, for letting me stay here last night."

"S'no problem." He shrugged and she nodded. "Want to talk about what drove you to drown your sorrows?"

Hermione shrugged. In truth, she would love to talk to someone, anyone, about what had happened in the wake of Rons suicide, but this man barely knew her. Who was she to burden him with her issues.

"Come on, it's not like I've got anyone to gossip with. Your secrets safe with me." He reassured and she sighed before relenting.

"Ron committed suicide last month." She muttered and heard him suck in a breath.

"Well that sucks. Sorry for that." He said and she shrugged.

"I'd be alright if that was the only problem. But he left a note. He blamed me almost entirely. And then his family turned their back on me and Harry sided with them and, well, I'm left with noone." She shrugged, hanging her head to hide the fact that her eyes were wet with tears.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Well, in the wake of that shocking list of revelations, Theo wasn't surprised that the poor girl had been trying to drown herself with Firewhiskey. Not only had she fought and won a war, by keeping two idiots alive long enough to kill Voldemort, now one of those idiots had topped himself and the other had left her completely abandoned. That's a hell of a mess for a… How old was she? Nineteen?

He watched her as she tried to subtly wipe her cheeks, hiding her tears from him and found himself feeling incredibly sorry for her. He knew what it was like to be alone, after all, and she had been cast aside by everyone who claimed to care about her. He might be a sullen and hard-skinned man, but even he wasn't so much of a prick that he could let her wallow in her despair completely alone.

"You're welcome to stay here for a while." He said, suddenly, half surprising even himself. "I mean, if you want."

"I can't do that." She said, shaking her head, "I figured I'd go back to the muggle world and… Well I'll figure something out."

"You're not going back to the muggle world." He told her and she snorted.

"Oh yeah? What's keeping me here?" She asked and he thought for a moment.

"The fact that you're a witch and belong here?" He offered and she chuckled sadly.

"I'm a mudblood, -"

"Don't," he snapped? "Use that word. Especially about yourself."

"It's true, though, isn't it. It's what I've been told the entire time I've been in the wizarding world. I'm inferior, unworthy, unwanted." She shrugged and Theo growled.

"Do you actually believe that crock of shit?" Theo hissed and she shrugged, "because I sure as hell don't. You're a sigularly talented witch, Granger. Don't squander that for the sake of others."

He saw her eyes widen at his words but she didn't reply. He had never really believed in the things that his father had tried to drill into him. He had gone along with it, let Draco bully the muggleborns at school, but only because if he hadn't then his father would have killed him. He sighed.

"Listen. Take me up on my offer or not, that's up to you. But I really would advise you don't give up on the wizarding world. You do belong here, no matter how lost you feel right now." He said before returning the chair to the dressing table, turning to her as he pulled open the door, "Call for Harvey if or when you're ready to leave, he'll let me know."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione lay back on the bed, staring unblinking at the wooden canopy above her. Theo had genuinely shocked her with his words, and more importantly his tone. He spoke as though he truly believed her to be… What, special? Gifted? She snorted at the thought. Theo had been a death eater. How could he have been a part of that if be didn't believe any of the things Voldemort valued?

Perhaps he had changed since the war? The final battle had been only six months ago. That seemed like a huge change to go through in six months. Perhaps he had been replaced by a different version of himself from an alternate universe. She snorted. That was, bizarrely, the most likely scenario.

Then there was his arm. It looked like his arm had been shot to pieces at some point and left to heal on its own. It was hideously mangled and she was intrigued by that. Were they scars from the battle? She didn't think so, there were no scars anywhere else that she had seen, which she presumed there would be if he had been hurt in some kind of explosion as it looked like.

And his offer for her to stay here… It was tempting. She would be far enough away from London to get away from the wizarding world for a while, and the Peak District offered plenty of scope for long walks to clear her head. Was it a genuine offer, though? Only one way to find out.

"Uh… Harvey?" She asked tentatively and jumped when the elf materialised in front of her with a loud crack.

"Harvey is sorry, miss." The elf said and Hermione shook her head.

"Call me Hermione, Harvey." She told him and he nodded. "Could you take me to Theo, please?"

"Of course miss Hermione, please follow Harvey." He said before turning and starting to walk so she scrambled from the bed and followed after him.

"Do you have to call me miss, Harvey?" She asked and he nodded while he walked.

"It is just the house elf way, miss Hermione." He told her and she nodded, distracted by the beauty of the house.

There was gold leaf everywhere and it was incredibly oppulent. It reminded her of a tour she once took of Buckingham Palace. She gasped when she caught sight of what seemed to be a swimming pool in one of the rooms down the same corridor as her room and wondered just how rich Theo was. Harvey came to a stop and turned to her.

"Just knock on the door, miss Hermione. Young master Nott should be inside." He said and then promptly disappeared.

Hermione frowned at the abrupt departure and thoroughly hoped that he was in here or she might never find him. This house must be huge. She'd only seen one corridor and she could see more coming off of it further down. Taking a deep breath and a collecting her thoughts, she raised her hand and hesitantly knocked on the door.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo had made a dash to the library when he had left Hermione in the bedroom, wondering what the hell had possessed him to offer her a place to stay. It was so unlike him that he briefly wondered if he may be ill but shrugged it off and buried his nose in an ancient text.

He was perusing an interesting essay about alternative uses for Unicorn Blood when a quiet knock sounded at the door to the library. It had to be Hermione, his elf never bothered to knock and she was the only other living being here, unless you counted the Boggart in his father's study. If it was still alive. It had been locked in there for well over six months. He stood and walked to the door, pulling it open to find a very nervous looking Hermione.

"Uh… Can I stay here?" She blurted and he snorted, feeling a gentle smile curve his lips.

"I offered, didn't I?" He asked and she shrugged.

"I didn't know if you were…" she glanced over his shoulder, "Is this a library?!"

Theo snorted again and pulled the door wide open letting her see the full room smiling when her jaw dropped. The emptiness in her eyes was replaced with a warmth that he had only seen in people gazing at the person they loved.

"You can come in, you know?" He grinned and she smiled nervously at him before crossing the threshold into the room, walking hesitantly into the middle of it.

He could understand her reverence for the room. It had been his one safe haven growing up in this house and he adored it. The room had been constructed over two floors and was absolutely massive. There was a platform that circled the second level and sliding ladders that allowed access to the shelves higher up the wall. The ceiling had a glass dome in the middle, flooding the room with natural light and allowing a view of the sky. All the woods were honey coloured, rich and warm. It was his sanctuary.

"Fucking hell." Hermione blurted as she caught sight of the dome and Theo burst out laughing.

"Such dirty words from such a pretty mouth." He chuckled and she blushed profusely as she gazed around the room, falling silent for a few minutes.

He crossed back to his reading chair in the corner and heard her footsteps reverberate around the room as he tried to focus on his tome, but found himself distracted as he repeatedly glanced at her, smiling at the little squeaks and gasps coming from her. He heard her footsteps coming closer and feigned interest in the book as she sat down across from him.

"This room… It's amazing, Theo." She grinned and he looked up at her through his lashes.

"Glad you like it." He muttered, turning his eyes back to his tome, "You're free to use it, if you're staying here?"

"I think I'd like that but…" she trailed off.

"But what?" Theo asked, looking up from his book.

"Well… Can I trust you?" She asked, averting her gaze to the floor and he snorted at her.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Granger." He told her, frowning slightly.

"Uh... Call me Hermione? Or some kind of nickname if you want, whatever, but you sound like Malfoy when you call me Granger." She shuddered and he smiled.

"Maya?" He asked and she nodded. "Hermione is a bit of a mouthful." He shrugged and she laughed.

"Yeah it is. Uh… I have a problem, though." She said and he raised a brow at her in question. "I have no other clothes."

"Oh." He said, understanding, "I guess you could borrow something of mine unless you want to go and get some stuff?"

"Is that okay? If I borrow something?" She asked and he nodded, leaving the library.

He went to his room and rummaged through his drawers, finding a pair of boxers and an old jumper. He frowned at the boxers but eventually shrugged thinking they would have to do before returning to the library.

"You can borrow these." He said, handing her the clothes, "There's a bathroom across from the gu- I mean, your bedroom."

"Thank you, Theo." She smiled and stood up, walking to leave as he sat down in his chair again.

"Maya?" He called suddenly.

"Yeah?" She asked, looking back at him.

"You're welcome." He smiled and she nodded with a grin, walking out of the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione never wanted to leave this house. Ever. First the bed was the most comfortable thing she could imagine, that thing was like sleeping on a cloud. Then she'd discovered a library beyond her imagination and now she was practically swimming in a massive roll top bathtub. This place, to put it simply, was heavenly. Well, from what she'd seen of it so far.

She dipped her head under the water and closed her eyes, blowing the air out of her nose. In a way, she was lucky that Theo had taken pity on her last night at the pub, or she had no idea where she would be now. Probably horribly hungover in some grotty BB. Yes, this was hugely preferrable. Pulling her head out of the water, she rested her back against the back of the tub with a sigh.

She pulled the chain of the plug with her foot and laid there as the water drained, enjoying the chill on her skin. It was, after all, November, and such a large house was bound to have some draughts. Standing up once the water had all gone, she stepped out of the bath and reached for a towel off the rack by the window and wrapped it around her, discovering it to be impossibly fluffy.

Once dry, she pulled her old bra on before slipping into Theo's huge black jumper and boxers, blushing as she did so. Trying not to think too much about it, she exited the bathroom and looked both ways. Having no idea where Theo was, she no idea where to go, so she called for Harvey. She was mildly proud of herself when she didn't jump as he appeared. Well, not much, anyway. It was an improvement, at any rate.

"You called for Harvey, Miss Hermione?" He asked politely and she nodded.

"Do you know where Theo is, harvey?" She asked and the elf nodded, but didn't speak. "Oh, could you take me to him, please?"

"Of course miss Hermione, follow Harvey please." He said before turning in the opposite direction of the library and leading her.

They'd walked for at least five minutes in silence before the elf stopped in front of her and bowed her into a slightly open door before popping away. She pushed the door open and gawped at what was behind it.

It was obviously the kitchen for the house and it was massive. There were two fridges and two ovens, along with an industrial sink all built into a traditional cottage style kitchen with black marble counters. It would have been cosy, if it wasn't the size of the Quidditch pitch at Hogwarts. Most surprising though, was Theo, currently stood before one of the cookers, wearing an apron and manually stirring a pot. She snorted and tried to smother it with her hand, covered by the too long sleeves of his jumper but he turned to her.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Legs. That's what he noticed, if he was being honest. Hermione, it appeared, had legs that went on for days. He had no idea where the hell she had been hiding them but now that he'd seen them, he wouldn't be forgetting them. His gaze turned upwards and he saw her trying to smother laughter with her hand. She looked tiny in his jumper and he felt an instinctive protectiveness surge through him. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he raised his eyebrow at her.

"You're... Cooking?" She chuckled, "In an apron!"

He watched as she burst out laughing, doubling over and resting her hands on her knees. He couldn't help but laugh a little himself at the insanity of the situation and when she calmed down, she walked past him, causing a shiver to run through him when she brushed against his back. He winced and tried to suppress it as she hopped up to sit on the counter next to the cooker, peering into the pot.

"What's cookin', good lookin'?" She asked with a grin and he snorted, shaking his head.

"You're ridiculous," he smiled, "You know that, Maya?"

"Yup." She nodded. "I've decided I quite like that nickname."

"Good. And to answer your previous question, I am cooking a curry." He told her, holding a spoon out for her to taste.

She took the spoon from him and tasted it, humming in approval and handing the spoon back. They fell silent as he cooked and he watched from the corner of his eye as she looked around the kitchen before turning back to him.

"Do you always cook the muggle way?" She asked as she watched him stirring the pot and he nodded.

"I actually have no idea how to cook any other way." He shrugged, "My father had the house elves cook and since he's been gone, I've learned this way through trial and error."

"It's a lot like potions, except nothing explodes if you don't follow the instructions properly." She smiled and he snorted.

"Speak for yourself." He grinned, looking up at her, "I've managed to make plenty of things explode in here." She snorted.

"I can safely say I have never made anything explode in a kitchen." She nodded, "What have you blown up?"

"The latest was an attempt at a steak and kidney pie. Went everywhere, Harvey didn't let me in the kitchen for a week after that." He frowned.

"Oh dear." She muttered, "Will you let me cook for you some time? I swear, no explosions."

Theo nodded and smiled at Hermione before turning the cooker off and dishing the curry out onto two plates and casting a heating charm, which he did at least know, on some precooked rice before adding it next to the curry. He asked her to grab a bottle of wine, instructed her on where to find the glasses and left the kitchen carrying the two plates into the dining room as she followed.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

"Do you keep in touch with anybody from school?" Hermione asked as she curled herself up around a cushion.

They'd moved into the lounge after dinner, which had been absolutely delicious, and she currently occupied one end of the sofa while Theo sat at the other end. He had lit the fire and she swirled her wine in the glass as she watched him.

"Barely," he frowned, "Draco is under house arrest, and I have no interest in going to that house. Uh… I see Blaise occasionally but not often and Pansy went to France straight after the war. She lives in Paris now."

"I didn't know she left," she admitted, "it was never mentioned anywhere."

"She did it quietly. She became a bit of a hate target after gossip spread about her trying to offer up Potter." He shrugged and Hermione sighed.

"She was just scared. We all were." She muttered staring at the wine as it span in her glass. "I don't blame her."

Theo shrugged and they lapsed into silence, though it wasn't uncomfortable. After a while the heat from the fire got to Hermione and she scrunched up her sleeves to cool down. She jumped when she heard Theo suck in a breath.

"What the fuck is that?" He hissed, glaring at her arm and she gasped.

"Oh, sorry!" She gasped, trying to pull her sleeve down again but he moved closer and took hold of her arm roughly.

"No, let me see." He said as she tried to pull away and when it became clear that he wasn't about to give up, she gave in with a shaky sigh.

She watched as Theo gently pushed her sleeve back up and growled when he uncovered her scar. Turning his head to look at her, she could see the fury and disbelief in his eyes. His grip on her arm had loosened considerably and it was resting carefully om his knee.

"Who did this, Maya?" He whispered as he stared into her eyes and she gulped.

"Bell- Bellatrix." She choked out and he winced.

"Just this?" He asked and she shook her head, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "Cruciatus?"

The word came out as a strangled whisper and she felt her tears fall as she nodded. She covered her face with her hand and was surprised when she felt him pull her into the crook of his shoulder and put his arm around her own.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo didn't ask any more questions as he held a crying Hermione. He stared intently at the horrific word carved into the otherwise clear skin on her arm. It's no wonder that the word had come from her mouth so easily earlier on in the day, it was literally carved into her skin. He ran his fingers over the word and winced.

He had been privy to enough of Bellatrix's punishment sessions in his time to know what the psychopathic bitch was capable of. She was brutal, even against her fellow death eaters. Hell, He had come under her wand a few times himself and he shuddered as he remembered how vicious she had been. And that was against him, someone that she, to his distaste, actually seemed to like.

He could easily imagine how she would have tortured Hermione. Frankly, he was surprised that she was still walking and talking and not locked up in the permanent residency ward at St Mungo's with drool falling off her chin, being fed with a spell because she couldn't remember how to chew. This scar alone was testament to her strength.

He felt Hermione lift her head from him and lifted his arm from around her. She ran her hand under her eyes and sniffled before lifting her head to face him.

"Sorry." She muttered, frowning, "I'm going to go to bed."

"Do you uh… Do you want a dreamless sleep?" He asked, knowing that the nightmares may come from him seeing her scar, but she shook her head as she stood up.

"Addictive qualities. I can't." She told him and waved weakly as she left the room.

He had known of so many who had become reliant on the potion after the war. He had come close to that point himself, but he saw the warning signs in time to avoid addiction. He wondered whether Hermione had been the same, or if she had become addicted completely and ended up going cold turkey?

He sighed and dragged his hands roughly over his face and stared blankly into the fire. The war had left everybody so scarred and fractured. Friendships had been torn apart and lives destroyed. For what? For a half-blood psychopath with big, xenophobic ideals. It was sickening, and the worst part was that the worst of the fighting had been done by children, children whose lives would forever be haunted by the memories of their teen years.

He stood up and collected Hermione's wine glass from the coffee table and walked through to the kitchens, putting it next to the sink. Trying to distract himself from the thoughts that had begun to drag him down, he busied himself tidying up his cooking pots and utensils and piling them neatly next to the sink. Once he had nothing left to do, he groaned and called for Harvey.

"Young master called?" The elf asked as he appeared before him and Theo nodded.

"Could you check on Hermione again tonight please? She may have nightmares." He informed Harvey whose eyes grew concerned.

"What is Harvey to be doing if miss Hermione has a nightmare, young master?" He asked, frowning and Theo sighed.

"Uh… I suppose you can come and wake me, Harvey. I'll deal with it."

"Master should be going to his bed. You look tired, young Theodore." Harvey chastised and Theo couldn't help the small smile that spread across his lips.

"I'm going, Harvey." He said, turning and walking to the door that would lead him towards his bedroom. "Every half hour, can you manage?"

"Of course, young master." The elf nodded, and Theo headed to his bed.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Despite her exhaustion, Hermione found herself awake long after midnight. Her mind was abuzz with memories and dark thoughts. Her arm was throbbing, as it often did, and she couldn't take her mind away from Theo's reaction upon seeing it.

He had been so… Shocked. Did he really not know what had happened that night at Malfoy Manor? She would have thought that Draco would have told him all about it, showing off that the infamous mudblood had spilled her life source all over his drawing room floor. For Theo not to know about it seemed odd to her.

And then his gentleness as he held her, It was so unexpected. It had been a long time since she had a shoulder to lean on as she cried, and she had cried often over the past month. It felt wonderful, in a sense, to have someone to be there to help shoulder her burden.

She sighed and rolled over onto her side, fluffing the pillow and laying her head heavily on it. Closing her eyes, she tried to clear her mind, but found it impossible. More than ever, she longed to drink down a vial of dreamless sleep but she knew that it would lead her down a spiral leading to dependance, and she wouldn't allow herself to wind up there again.

She'd started to take the potion a week after the war. A week she had spent reliving the deaths of loved ones whose faces she would never see alive again. She had seen Tonks and Remus, laid side by side on the cold stones that made up the floor of the great hall. She'd dreamt that she had seen the light escape the laughing eyes of Fred, never to return, and more than anything, she had relived the moment all had seemed lost to the world.

The moment that haunted her more than any other, was seeing Hagrid, so big and strong, crying as he carried the corpse of her best friend. While it had been a ruse, that moment was permanently etched in her memory and there was no escaping it. So she had raided the stash at the Burrow and started to take dreamless sleep every night.

Her friends had told her how unbelievably strong she was to be able to sleep so soundly after seeing such horrors. She had not had the courage to admit to her weakness though, and soon found herself unwittingly relying on the vials of potion to sleep. It had continued until shortly before Ron's death, when she had gone cold turkey and suffered almost a week of insomnia until her mind naturally succumbed to the temptation of sleep. Then the nightmares came again.

She groaned as she rolled over and gazed at the canopy above her, wishing that she could erase all the memories that kept her awake at night or otherwise loomed over her in sleep.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo was awake, in his own room a few doors down the hallway from her. He had seen her arm every time he closed his eyes and his stomach lurched every time.

MUDBLOOD

She had been so sure that morning of her place in this world. Unwanted, unworthy. He had allowed that word to be thrown at her so many times over the years, stood back and done nothing, even as pain and doubt had flared in her eyes. The guilt was horrific. She believed herself unwelcome, and it was partly his fault.

He was just about to close his eyes once more when Harvey appeared beside the bed and Theo pushed himself up on his elbows to see the elf better.

"Nightmare?" He asked and the elf shook his head sadly.

"Miss is not sleeping, master. She is tossing and turning, but not sleeping so far." Harvey informed and Theo heaved a heavy sigh.

"Thank you, Harvey." He nodded, "Keep checking, but I think every hour should be okay."

The elf nodded and disappeared away with a bow. Theo dropped back onto the mattress and threw his arm across his face. Apparently, neither of them would be sleeping tonight.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo

Please come to the Manor at your earliest convenience. We shall drink to your success.

Draco

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo frowned down at the small piece of parchment that he held in his hands. His success? He didn't know what he was supposed to have done, but if the note hadn't borne his name, he would have thought it a mistake. What was Draco talking about?

He had no desire to return to that Manor, having seen the horrors that had taken place there, but he knew that his mind wouldn't rest until he had been to hear what he was supposed to have achieved. Sighing, he put the note on the dining table and picked up his cup of coffee just as Harvey walked into the room with an exhausted looking Hermione behind him.

"Morning." She grumbled, smiling at Harvey when he handed her a cup of wonderful caffeine.

"Morning." He greeted, "Sleep well?"

Hermione snorted and shook her head as she cradled her coffee in both hands, closing her eyes as she took a sip. He watched as she pulled out a chair and fell heavily into it.

"What's that?" Hermione asked, pointing at the note from Draco.

Theo shrugged and slid it across the table to her, watching a frown form on her face as she read it.

"What have you done?" She asked as she slid it back to him.

"I don't know." He replied with a frown of his own, "But he obviously seems to think I've done something. Will you be alright if I visit him this afternoon?"

"I'm sure I'll cope." She chuckled, "Did I see a pool down the corridor where my bedroom is?"

"Yes." Theo snorted, "Olympic sized, whatever that means. Thinking of going for a swim?"

"I love swimming." She told him with a smile, "Haven't had the chance to go in a long time."

"Well, have at it. I never use it, so you might as well." Theo shrugged and she frowned at him. "I can't swim."

"Really?" She gasped, "I could teach you, if you wanted?"

"Maybe." Theo chuckled after a pause.

He finished his coffee, instructed Hermione that if she needed anything then she could call for Harvey and left to get dressed before flooing to the Manor he had so far managed to avoid.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo exited the fireplace into a huge panelled room and was immediately assaulted by haunting bad memories of the atrocities that had taken place in it. He could picture the muggle girls, raped and tortured before being disposed of like they were worth nothing to anyone. The death eaters punished for their mistakes at the end of a wand.

He took a deep breath and rested his hand against the mantle to steady himself, trying to focus on his reason for being here. He heard footsteps echo behind him and turned to find the familiar grin of his blonde haired friend.

"Theo!" He greeted cheerfully, "You are a genius my friend!"

"Sorry?" Theo asked, thoroughly confused.

He watched as Draco crossed to one of the sideboards and picked up a newspaper before returning to him and holding it up in front of Theo's face. He groaned.

HERMIONE GRANGER: WHERE IS SHE?

The headline screamed out of him and his heart started to race in his chest. He reached out a shaking hand and pulled the newspaper out of his friends hand, glaring down at it as he read further.

The article went on to say that she had last been seen making a hasty exit from Weasleys funeral a week earlier before she was spotted at the Three Broomsticks. With him. He was named as a party of interest in the case of her dissappearance. Shit.

"This is bullshit." He muttered, handing the paper back to a still grinning Draco.

"You should be honoured!" Draco exclaimed, "Tell me, how did you do it?"

"Do what, Draco?" Theo sighed, leaning back against the mantle for support.

"Well did you Avada her? Or is she chained up in your dungeons?" Draco laughed and Theo gawped at him.

"WHAT?!" He yelled, "Have you lost your fucking mind?!"

"Aw come on, man. Tell me, what are you planning for the mudblood bi-"

Theo say red and flew at Draco, feeling his fist connect with bone as Draco cried out in surprise and pain. He watched as his friend fell to his knees, clutching his face and glaring at Theo through cold, hard eyes.

"What the fuck!?" Draco exclaimed and Theo loomed over him, furious.

"Do NOT use that word in front of me." He growled and Draco laughed.

Pushing himself up from his knees, Draco flicked his own wand towards his face and Theo heard a crack as he fixed his nose. Draco turned to him, his eyes filled with anger.

"You never stopped me from using it before. Gone blood traitor, have you?" Draco snickered and Theo glared at him.

"You are more and more like your father every day, Draco." Theo muttered, shaking his head sadly.

"And? What's wrong with that?" Draco snapped, offended.

"What isn't wrong with it?" Theo chuckled ruefully, "He beats his wife and uses unforgivables against his own flesh and blood. Have you forgotten how much sick pleasure your father got from seeing people tortured?"

"Do not bad mouth my father, Theo, I'm warning you." Draco snarled and Theo shrugged.

"Your father is as sick a bastard as mine was." Theo said, "And I'm clever enough to know that his beliefs were bullshit."

"Bullshit?" Draco laughed, "Mate, are you telling me that you never enjoyed that rush of power that came from aiming your wand at a mud-"

"Draco," Theo hissed in warning, "And no. Every face of every person I ever pointed my wand at is permanently etched in my mind, haunting me. I have never, now will I ever, enjoy hurting people who do not deserve it."

"You're weak, Theo." Draco told him, his voice cold. "Our fathers always said it, but now I see it." Theo shrugged.

"Rather that than insane." He told the blonde. "Goodbye, Draco."

Theo turned and plucked some powder from it's jar in the mantle, throwing it into the flames and stepping in. Before he could speak his destination, though, he heard Dracos voice calling out to him over the roar of the flame.

"Keep the mudblood bitch safe, if I find her I will do the job."

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo stepped out of the floo in his bedroom and roared as he pulled his hand back and pounded it into the wall, drawing blood. Seeing the red stain against the white wall, he fell forward and rested his forehead against the cold plaster, breathing heavily.

"Theo?" Came Hermione's timid voice from the door and he turned his head to see her wringing her hands nervously. "Are you… Are you okay?"

Theo couldn't talk. He crossed to his bed and sat heavily on the edge, dropping his head into his hands and shaking his head. He heard her soft footsteps approaching him and looked up when her feet appeared next to his own. She was looking down at him concernedly. He watched as she dropped to her knees between his knees and gently took his bleeding hand.

"What happened?" She murmured as she pulled her wand out of her sleeve and he watched as his hand healed under it.

"He's insane." Theo croaked and cleared his throat, "He wanted to congratulate me for… Well for doing something to you."

Hermione gasped and he dropped his head again, concentrating his vision on the floor between them. He was ashamed that people he would once had considered his closest friends would be so evil. That he had been a part of that, however reluctantly.

"How did he connect us?" She asked shakily.

"Prophet." Theo grunted, "Front page, I'm the last person who was seen with you, and now I'm a suspect in your disappearance."

"Oh, Theo. I'm sorry." She murmured, "I'll write a letter to Harry. Hopefully that will set the record straight. Can I… Can I tell him where I am?"

Theo nodded and she smiled gently at him before getting up and rushing from the room and Theo flopped back, exhausted, on his bed.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Dear Harry,

In third year you and I used a time turner to go back and release Buckbeak and Sirius. You thought your Dad got rid of the Dementors, but it was actually yourself from the future.

See? It's me.

I am not missing. I am not dead. I am with Theodore Nott who has kindly taken me in at Nott Hall. Without him I would have left the wizarding world entirely, so could you please call off this search.

If you require proof that I am alive and well then I am sure you could come here.

Love Hermione.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione tied her letter to the leg of Theo's beautiful little Barn Owl, named Arie, and tickled his head before sending him flying out of the window in her bedroom. Hopefully that would put an end to all claims that Theo had harmed her in any way.

She turned and exited her bedroom, pausing outside Theos open door and finding his room to be empty. Frowning, she walked through the house searching for him. She finally found him in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a coffee in his hand, staring into space.

He looked good, though angry and Hermione took a moment to look over his body. He really was quite attractive. His hair was flopping forward onto his forehead today and her fingers twitched with the urge to brush it back as she had so often done with Harry or Ron.

The stubble that covered his chin gave him a rugged look and it bristled whenever he ran a hand over it. She wondered whether it was soft or coarse. His shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows and tight over his muscled arms. Her eyes lifted to his face as his head turned in her direction.

"I… Uh… I wrote to Harry." She said, feeling herself blush at being caught staring at him. Theo nodded.

"Did you tell him he could come here if he needed proof?" He asked, putting his cup down next to him and crossing his arms. She nodded.

"I hope you don't mind. I just… I know what he's like." She sighed, walking over and leaning on the counter across from him.

"That's fine." Theo assured, "I guessed that you would. If it stops me going to Azkaban for your murder, I can deal with it."

"I'm sorry, Theo." She said, frowning, "I can leave if this is causing you problems."

"And go where, Maya? The muggle world?" He asked and she shrugged. "I won't allow it. You're staying here."

"I don't want to cause trouble for you, Theo." She said, swiping irritatedly at a tear that escaped her eyes as her lip wobbled, "I was only supposed to stay one night."

She heard Theo sigh and step closer to her and put his heavy hands on her shoulder and she hung her head to hide her tears. He squeezed her shoulders and pulled her against his chest. He was stiff as he awkwardly put his arms around her and rubbed her back.

"This is your home, Maya, at least for now." He said quietly and pulled away from her, returning his hands to her shoulders as she looked up at him. "Alright?"

She nodded and stepped away from him, grabbing a tissue from a box on the counter to wipe her eyes. She was just turning round to say something when a chime sounded and Theos head snapped towards the lounge. He was frowning and Hermione felt uneasy.

"Stay here." He hissed and she nodded as he walked out of the room.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

As soon as Theo entered the lounge, he found himself with a wand pointed at his face by an angry wizard. He held his hands up, trying to suppress the urge to snort at the position he had found himself in and eyed the wizard in front of him.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry hissed and Theo rolled his eyes.

"Maya? You can come through, It's only Potter." He shouted, never taking his eyes off of the now very confused raven haired wizard.

"Harry Potter!" Came a shriek from behind him, and he watched as the tiny witch stepped in front of him, jabbing her finger towards the floor, "You lower your bloody wand right this second!"

Theo snorted when Harry dropped his wand and looked at Hermione like a child being told off by their mother. He relaxed his arms and his hands fell to his sides. Harry took a step towards Hermione and she held her hand up to halt his movements.

"You came, you've seen me, you can leave now." She said strongly and Harry frowned.

"What? Hermione, no! You know I don't blame you." Harry told her and Theo couldn't help himself.

"Didn't stop you abandoning her though, did it, Potter?" He snorted and Hermione turned to him.

"Theo…" she sighed.

"No, he left you with nothing and noone." Theo Said angrily, turning to Harry with his brow raised, "So what's the excuse?"

"The Weasleys needed me." Harry muttered and Hermione shook her head sadly.

"And I didn't?" She asked quietly.

"They just lost a second son, Hermione!" He exclaimed and Hermione growled at him.

"And I lost everyone!" She shouted and Harry's eyes widened.

"Hermione… I…"

"No, just stop." She sighed, "If you want to help, you can collect my stuff and bring it here. Then leave me alone."

Theo watched as Hermione pushed past him and left the room, not looking back at Harry. Turning to the dark haired wizard, he just stared at him. Harry's face was pale and his eyes wide, fearful. Theo shook his head and turned to leave, but Harry's voice stopped him.

"What do you want from her?" He asked and Theo turned to look at him.

"Nothing. I expect nothing from her." He said and left the room, hopefully Harry would take the hint and leave.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

That bloody arsehole. So the Weasleys needed him, huh? And what was she, chopped liver? She had suffered through the silent treatment and the glares at the Burrow for a month before she gave up and left. She'd slept in awful little rooms above pubs for a week after she had been kicked out of the funeral for daring to care.

She'd gone back, alone, to the Burrow to say goodbye to Ron as she couldn't a week before and then Theo had discovered her saying her final farewell to the wizarding world and Harry has the audacity to come here and tell here that she didn't need him? Arsehole.

Oh, Hermione was angry. She was pacing around her bedroom, muttering to herself under her breath about the cheek of her friend when she heard a snort from behind her and spun around to see Theo chuckling in the doorway.

"What?" She snapped as he walked over to the dressing table, pulling out the same chair he'd sat on before and sitting backwards on it with his arms crossed on top of the backrest.

"Oh nothing." He grinned, "Just didn't expect such a thorough repertoire of curse words to come from you."

Hermione snorted, she couldn't help it. How had he managed to come in here when she was full of rage and put a smile on her face so quickly?

"Has he gone?" She asked, collapsing on the edge of her bed.

"No idea." Theo shrugged, "I left him in the lounge."

"What a prick." She growled, "They needed him?! What about me?!"

"You've got me, if that helps?" He offered with a smile and she snorted.

"Of course it helps." She sighed.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

"Theo, you need to let go of the edge." Hermione laughed.

That was easy for her to say. He was damn sure that if he let go of the edge he would sink straight down. This was not his idea of fun. There was more than enough water to drown him quickly enough. He'd only agreed to this madness to cheer her up. He really wished he hadn't.

He did have to admit, though, that seeing her in a transfigured swimming costume went some way to making it worth it. Not all the way though.

"Just let go of the bloody side!" She laughed, swimming over to him and stopping next to him. "Here, look."

He felt her hands come up onto his and prise his fingers away from the edge. He was surprised at her strength, he was almost certain it would have taken a crowbar to move his fingers but somehow she'd managed it.

"Hold my hands instead," she told him with a smile and he intertwined their hands, squeezing tight, "Alright, I'm gonna go backwards. You have to let yourself float, ok? Just relax."

She started to push herself backwards and he could feel the movement of the water from her feet against his stomach. He closed his eyes and concentrated on trying to float when he felt her foot brush against him and gasped, losing concentration.

He heard her yelp and opened his eyes to see her disappear below the water as his hands floundered and panicked as he let go, kicking frantically to try and stay above water. He felt her small hands push on his bare chest and her head appeared above the water, inches in front of him,

She opened her eyes and he stopped struggling as he felt her holding him up and his feet fell below him, finding the floor with the very tip of his toes and he relaxed. He could feel her rapid breath on his face and his eyes flicked to her lips and back to her eyes again.

They were both frozen inches apart as they hovered in the water. Their bodies brushed against each other as the water moved around them and Theo's hand moved to her side of it's own accord. She gasped and he saw panic cross across her eyes and she pushed away from him and swam to the edge, pulling herself out of the pool and running from the room. He watched her go before slapping the water. Shit.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione found herself crumpled on the floor in her bedroom, soaking wet, shivering and wondering what the hell just happened. One minute he'd been dragging her under the water and the next minute their eyes were locked and she couldn't tear herself away. She dropped her head into her hands and screamed into them.

She couldn't ignore the fact that she had wanted to kiss him. He really was very attractive and she would have to be blind not to notice it, but she wasn't stupid. Kissing him would open up a can of worms that really was best left sealed.

It would lead to hope and hurt feelings. This house was his, and she didn't want to leave, which would happen if she acted on this ridiculous crush she seemed to be forming on him. It would be ridiculously one sided and he wouldn't return any hypothetical feelings she might have.

She had almost given in. Almost. When his hand had come up to keep her body from touching his, she could almost confuse it for him wanting to pull her closer but she couldn't let herself think that. She wouldn't. It would only ever end badly.

She sighed and, mind made up, she stood and went into her bathroom, filling the tub with hot water and stepping in. She leaned back in the water and moaned as the heat warmed her.

It was quite simple really. She would have to avoid any intimate moments that might drive her to dòing something stupid. So no hugs or touches. She would push him away, as much as she didn't want to.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Fuck. Theo warily tiptoed to the edge of the pool and pulled himself out, sitting on the side and letting his legs dangle in the water. He was such an idiot. The moment had pulled him in and his body had acted against his better judgement.

He couldn't deny that he was going to kiss her, had she stayed, but it would have royally screwed things up for him if he had. What would come of it? Awkward apologies and strained interactions but nothing good.

She was so bloody pure. It shone out of her and sometimes it almost blinded him. Her lightness and innocence were insanely attractive to him, having lived a life filled with such darkness. But that very same darkness was the thing that he knew would always prevent him from ever being attracted to him.

For a moment, he'd thought that she wanted him to kiss her. She had been looking at him with such wide eyes and he thought he saw something in them but then his hand had touched against her side and she had snapped out of it and ran. She'd literally run away from him.

He couldn't deny his growing attraction to her any more. He knew that she had always been pretty, if a little plain. The girl next door type, he supposed. But since he had seen her at the pub, something had pulled him to her. Dragging him into caring for her.

And when she had showed up in his kitchen wearing just his boxers and jumper, something had changed. It was almost primal, the surge of protectiveness he had felt at that moment, and somewhere along the line it had grown into more. Attraction. Affection.

Before he had practically dragged her home with him, he neither the need or desire for human contact. He was happy with his solitude and his big empty home. His occasional contact with his house elf and Rosmerta had been enough.

But now he thought about this empty house and wondered if it would be enough for him if she wasn't in it any more. He genuinely sought her company and for the first time in a very long time, he enjoyed the company of another. More specifically, he found that he enjoyed her company.

He couldn't risk that by acting on these emerging feelings and pushing her away. He would need to avoid that, because he didn't want to go back to being alone and he didn't want that for her either. Avoidance was his only option, and he hated it.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione decided, during her bath, that she would cook dinner for Theo that night to make up for what must seem like her running away in fear. She didn't want him to think that she was scared of him. He didn't need to know that she was in fact feeling precisely the opposite, but he didn't need to think she was scared of him.

She walked into the kitchen and crossed to the fridge, pulling it open to see what he had that she could use. She wondered whether he would like pizza, and quickly decided that she would take a risk and make it for him, because she hadn't eaten pizza in a long time.

She pulled out tomatoes, onions and mushrooms for now and crossed over to the counter, dumping the vegetables on the side and looking around for a chopping board or something similar. She couldn't see one out and was just looking in the lower cupboards when she heard a throat clear behind her.

"Uh… What are you doing?" Theo asked with a chuckle and she blushed as she stood up, turning to him.

"I was uh… I was going to cook for you?" She said but it sounded like a question.

"Right." He said and walked closer to her, leaning against the counter, "And what are we cooking?"

"I am cooking pizza." She told him, emphasising the 'I', "You can… Go and do something else."

"What were you looking for when I came in?" He asked and she frowned.

"Chopping board." She muttered and he stepped towards her.

She couldn't help but step away from him as he neared and he frowned at her sudden movement, but he didn't say anything. She watched him pull open a cupboard above the worktop and caught sight of his bare stomach as his shirt rode up when he reached for a board. He turned to hand it to her and she averted her gaze to the floor.

"Thanks." She muttered, refusing to look at him, lest he see her blush. "Uh… Knives?"

Her eyes snapped up when he came towards her and she held her hands up to stop him, her eyes wide. Theo sighed and his shoulders slumped. His hand came up and rubbed the back of his neck and he stepped away from her.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to hurt you?" He asked, hurt evident in his voice.

"What?" She frowned, "Of course not!"

She knew that Theo would never hurt her. He had a dark past, sure, but her instincts were usually right and they were telling her that he wouldn't allow her to get hurt. Either by him or by anybody else.

"Then what is this thing you're doing?" He said, pointing at her raised hands which she promptly dropped.

"I'm not doing anything!" She snapped and he rolled his eyes and took a step towards her, watching as she stepped back.

"See! That! What is that?" He snapped back.

Hermione groaned. She was so desperate to avoid him touching her so that she wouldn't act impulsively. She really didn't want him to think that she feared him but how could she even begin to tell him that she was so attracted to him that he made her scared of what she might do?

"Its nothing, Theo." She sighed, "Just drop it!"

"No!" He growled, "Why are you flinching away from me?"

"It doesn't matter!" She shouted and turned to walk away from him but Theo reached out and grabbed her arm.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

"Maya, come on." He begged, "You're scared of me."

He watched as her shoulders slumped and she turned to face him. He could see tears welling in her eyes and he sighed when she wouldn't make eye contact.

"I'm not scared of you." She muttered.

Theo stepped closer to her and she immediately stiffened, but she didn't make to move away. He slowly raised his hand and gently wiped a tear from her face. She flinched at his touch.

"Then what's going on with you?" He asked quietly.

He couldn't understand it. Just yesterday she let him hold her on the sofa. Even just this morning she had let him hug her in the kitchen. What was this? This couldn't be all about what had he'd done in the pool, surely?

"I don't want to tell you." She told him desperately.

"Is this because of what happened in the pool?" He asked and she gasped, lifting her eyes to meet his.

"I'm sorry." She said, "I felt you push me away and-"

"Push you away? What are you talking about?" He asked with a frown.

She surely couldn't think that he had intended to stop her from touching him. He had never known her to be stupid and he had thought that his intentions had been very clear. Then again, if she was half as innocent as he thought her to be…

"Your hand came up and I knew you wanted me away from you, so I ran." She muttered with her head hung, "I was embarrassed."

Oh fucking hell. Theo would have laughed if he didn't think she would be hurt by him doing so. She honestly thought that he had wanted her away from him.

"Maya?" He asked, hooking a finger under her chin and lifting her head from where it had been staring at the floor.

She looked at him with tearful eyes, shy and so unbelievably innocent it was practically painful.

"I wanted you closer, silly girl." He smiled and her eyes widened almost comically.

"What… I… What?" She blustered and Theo chuckled, shaking his head.

He lifted his hand to her side again and pulled her closer like he had wanted to in the pool, looking down at her. She was so utterly confused and he found it so adorable.

"Did you want me to kiss you?" He whispered and she gasped.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione could feel his toned stomach against her own and her heart was beating ridiculously fast. It was almost painful how terrified she was at this moment. Had she wanted him to kiss her? Well yes, of course she bloody well did. She nodded, barely moving her head.

She saw him smile and then his face was coming closer to hers. She closed her eyes and she could suddenly feel his breath against her skin. She was about to open her eyes to see what was happening when suddenly his warm lips were against hers. She couldn't help it, she whimpered.

He didn't move his lips, or push the kiss further. After a few seconds she felt him smile against her lips and pull away. She opened her eyes to see him grinning at her and she gave a hesitant smile back. His hand came up to cup her jaw and his thumb stroked her lower lip as they watched each other.

"What's pizza?" He asked suddenly and Hermione lost it.

It started as a surprised gasp but soon her shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter. A very bizarre noise caused by the laughter in her throat pushed her towards belly laughing and soon she was bent double, clutching her sides.

After the sweetest damn kiss she could ever imagine, that was not the question she had been expecting. For some reason, it was utterly hilarious.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

"Ok, let me get this straight," laughter Theo as he and Hermione sat cross legged in front of each other before the fire in the lounge, "You were flinching away from be because you're attracted to me?"

"Yup." She nodded embarrassedly.

"And your plan was to avoid any kind of physical contact because you didn't want me to think you, what, ridiculous? For finding me attractive?" He chuckled, taking a drink of the Firewhiskey they were sharing before handing it to her.

"Pretty much." She nodded, taking a mouthful from the bottle.

"That is quite possibly the most ridiculous plan I have ever heard." He laughed and she scowled at him.

"Alright, what was your grand plan then?" She asked angrily.

"Pretty much the same." He shrugged and she laughed at him.

Theo watched her laugh and smiled. Their kiss earlier had not been particularly passionate or mind blowing, but it sent a shiver down his spine and left his heart swollen with affection for her. He had been amazed at her thinking that he was pushing her away.

"You do know that you're beautiful, right?" He asked softly and she abruptly stopped laughing and shared at him in shock. "Seriously?"

"Just how drunk are you?" She chuckled with her eyebrow raised.

"I've only had..." He lifted the bottle up and his eyes widened to find it almost empty, "Well that's besides the point. You are beautiful, Maya."

"Yeah well, you're practically god like." She snorted and fell backwards in her laughter.

Theo shook his head as he watched her giggling. She truly had no idea. Regardless of how much drink he'd had, it didn't change the facts. He crawled over and laid down next to her on his side facing her, grabbing her hand and lifting it to his chest, intertwining their fingers.

"Hey," he said, chuckling when she turned to face him and bumped his nose with hers, "What are you thinking?"

"I really want to kiss you again." She blurted and he snorted before giving her what she wanted.

He pressed his lips to hers and when she pushed back he grinned without removing his lips from hers before pecking her once more and pulling back, resting his forehead on hers. He was inexperienced with women and didn't really know… How to do this. He didn't know how much experience she'd had and he was worried to disappoint her.

"Ask me something?" He said, smiling when she snorted.

"What do you mean?" She asked with a grin

Hermione rolled onto her back and Theo pushed himself up on his elbow, supporting his head with his hand to look down on her. The firelight reflected in her eyes and he was blown away that she would take a chance with him. He pressed a gentle kiss on her cheek and pulled back again, smiling.

"I mean ask me something. Anything. Let's get to know each other a little better." He murmured and she nodded before falling silent, her face concentrated.

"Hmmm… Alright… Anything right?" She asked skeptically and he nodded, "How many girls have you slept with?"

Theo gasped. This was about to get very embarrassing very quickly for him. Of all the questions she could have asked…

"Honestly? None." Theo groaned, dropping his head onto her shoulder.

"No!" She gasped, "What… Really?"

"Mmhmm," he nodded against her shoulder.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of Theo." She told him, "I just expected… I mean, look at yourself!"

"Maya," He snorted, lifting his head up to look at her, "You saw me in school, right? I've changed quite a bit since then and it's all a fairly recent development."

"Lucky me then, I guess." She shrugged and he grinned. "I haven't slept with anyone either, if it's any consolation."

"A bit." He nodded. "My question?"

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione watched as Theo stared across the room, deep in thought. When he focused on something, He got a little furrow right in between his eyebrows and it was very cute. She giggled as she watched him and he looked down at her, frowning. She reached up and pushed a stray bit of hair out of his forehead and he shut his eyes at her touch and grinned suddenly.

"Who was the first boy that you kissed?" He asked and she sighed.

"Vikor Krum." She mumbled and Theo burst laughing at her.

"Wait wait." He said when she slapped him on the chest in annoyance, glaring at him, "No! I'm not laughing at you, honey, I just won a bet. Not that I'll ever cash in."

"A bet?" She frowned and he nodded, still chuckling.

"I bet that Krum would kiss you at the Yule Ball, but we never found out if he did, so no-one won." He grinned, obviously happy for winning a bet that he made in fourth year and she groaned.

"It wasn't at the Yule Ball." She mumbled.

"Aw what! Don't take that away from me!" He groaned and now Hermione laughed at him. "When was it then?"

"The day he left, before he got on the boat." She told him and he nodded. "Who was your first kiss?"

"Just a peck?" She nodded, "Milicent Bulstrode." He shuddered and Hermione covered her mouth to stop the laughter. He waved it off and she burst out with it before calming down.

"Oh god. I've got a very bizarre story thwt includes Milicent." She grimaced and he raised his eyebrow at her.

"In second year," she sighed, "You know all the Chamber of Secrets stuff? Well we thought, for obvious reasons, that Malfoy was the heir of slytherin."

"Honestly? So did we." He frowned and she nodded.

"Well we came up with a plan involving the brewing of polyjuice and turning Harry and Ron into Crabbe and Goyle." She said and he nodded, listening intently, "and I was going to turn into Milicent… Except what I thought was her hair turned out to be cat hair."

"And?" He asked and she groaned and put her fingers on top of her head in two points, like cat ears. "No!"

"Mmhmm." She nodded covering her face with her arm as he laughed at her.

"That's amazing." He chuckled, "Do you know whose cat it was?"

Hermione snapped her head round to look at him with huge, confused eyes.

"Uhh… Milicent's?" She asked and he shook his head.

"She didn't have a cat." He told her and she gasped.

"Well in that case, I have no idea." She laughed.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

The two spent days very much in the same fashion over the coming week. Harry came to bring her stuff two days later, but Hermione refused to see him and Theo turned him away when he asked. She went swimming every day and very much enjoyed the exercise, though she couldn't get Theo in the water for love nor money. He sat on the edge while she swam, enjoying the view.

Theo was incredibly surprised by how easily Hermione had slotted into his life. Before he'd found her in the pub, he had very limited interaction with anyone other than Harvey and it had suited him perfectly fine, but even just a week later he found it difficult to imagine a scenario where he wouldn't want to talk to Hermione every day.

They had taken to cooking together, which Theo thoroughly enjoyed. She taught him how to cook new dishes and he taught her how to blow things up. Well, potatoes. He taught her how to make a potato explode. It wasn't his finest moment, but it had made her laugh until she cried so he counted that as a win for him. Sort of.

Today was Saturday, and Hermione had persuaded Theo to go for a walk in the hills with her. She said that the fresh air would do him good and was thoroughly unimpressed that he had never ventured past the edge of the wards, despite having been brought up here.

Hermione pushed herself out of the water and he watched as she walked to him, sat down next to him and nudged him with her shoulder. He picked up the towel that had been next to him, wrapped it around her shoulders and placed a kiss on her temple as he rubbed her arm.

"When do you want to go for a walk?" He asked and she shrugged in response.

"Let me shower and get ready and then I'll come find you?" She asked and he nodded, "You could pack a picnic?"

"That's a good idea. What do you fancy?" He asked and she shrugged, telling him to surprise her.

He watched as she left the pool room and waiting until he heard her door shut before he got up and dried his feet with a flick of his wand. Slipping on some flip flops, He gazed out of the window and realised that it was massively ironic wearing shorts and sandals when the ground was covered with snow outside. He smiled to himself and left the room, heading towards the kitchen.

When he got there he wandered around the large room, looking in all the cupboards. He was completely uninspired in terms of what to prepare and stood for a good 10 minutes just staring into the fridge, hoping for an idea to strike, before giving up and calling for Harvey, who promptly popped into existence next to him.

"Yes young master?" The elf asked and Theo rolled his eyes.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me 'young master', Harvey?" He asked and the elf snickered.

"At least once more, young master." He grinned and Theo snorted, "what is you needing of Harvey?"

"Hermione wants to go for a walk in the hills this afternoon," Theo told him as he hopped up to sit on the countertop, grinning at Harvey when he huffed, "and we would like to take a picnic. Could you make one for us?"

Harvey rose his bushy white eyebrow in expectance, just like he used to do when Theo was a little boy. In truth the elf had been played more of a parental role than his father ever had, and Theo was extremely fond of him. He groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Please?" He asked, pouting.

"Of course, young master. I feels that I should inform young master that there is a blizzard coming. Young master and his miss should not go far." He said as he busied himself collecting ingredients for the picnic.

"We'll be fine, Harvey." Theo reassured.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo was still sitting on the countertop talking with Harvey as he prepared their picnic when he heard a snort from the doorway and turned to find Hermione grinning at him. He could see at least three layers on her upper half and he smiled when he noticed that she'd pinched one of his jumpers to wear. She seemed to have a particular soft spot for them, not that he minded.

"You got Harvey to make the picnic?" She clucked as she leaned next to him and Harvey snickered at Theo getting caught.

"Harvey doesn't mind, miss Hermione." He told her with a grin and she nodded, turning to Theo and abruptly shoving a beanie onto his head.

"Watch it!" He grimaced as she folded her ear in half with her efforts, "they're kind of attached, you know?"

It wasn't long before Harvey handed a shrunk down picnic basket to theo, who put it into the pocket of his jeans. He and Hermione went into the foyer and donned thick winter coats (in case their were muggles walking around) and gloves before stepping outside.

It was lightly snowing and Theo shook his head as Hermione took off running towards the edge of the wards, excited to be going exploring. He trudged after her and caught up just outside the protective barrier where she had turned and was now staring with wide eyes.

"Uh… Theo?" She asked and he laughed, knowing what she was going to say. "Where's the house?"

He nodded and took her hand, walking her a couple of meters inside the wards and the house reappeared. Pulling her out again, it was once again nowhere to be seen.

"Well." Said Hermione, "that's a strong protective measure."

"You need to either be a Nott by blood or marriage, or specifically listed as allowed entry to enter this house by walking through the wards. The floo is set up to keep out anyone with ill intentions. You can't apparate within the wards at all." He told her and she frowned, took a step forward and broke through the wards before coming back out.

"How come I can get through?" She asked and he turned to her.

"I added you to the wards." He shrugged as he started to walk up the path away from the house. He looked back once he was a good hundred feet ahead of her and called back before she seemed to snap out of it and run after him, taking his hand.

xxxxxxxxxx

They had been walking for a good three hours when the temperature suddenly dropped. Hermione looked to Theo, who was beginning to look quite worried at this point and suggested that they turn back towards the house, which he agreed would be best.

After half an hour of walking back towards the house, the snow started to fall in thick, blinding curtains. The wind became bitter and Hermione clung to Theo in fear that if she got lost, she would never find her way back to him. They pushed on through the blizzard for as long as they could before Theo suddenly dragged her off to the side and pulled her into a tiny cave, carved in the side of a rockface.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

"Fucking hell," she muttered as she shook the snow from her hair, and turned to find Theo crouching breathless against the back of the cave, "Are you alright?"

Theo nodded, but in truth he had been struggling to suppress his panic since the blizzard had started. He should have listened to Harvey, but he had assumed that any snow they would get would not be bad enough to warrant worrying over. Glancing outside, he realised how wrong he had been.

It took him a few minutes to regain control of his breathing before he rested his head back and closed his eyes. He felt Hermione remove his beanie and her fingers rake through his hair and opened his eyes and smiled up at her standing over him before he pushed himself to his feet.

"I'm alright, Maya." He told her, "just took me by surprise is all."

"You and me both," she agreed, looking worryingly toward the cave entrance, "How did you know this cave was here?"

"I saw it on the way out and just guessed that we were in the right area." He shrugged, "lucky guess."

Hermione sighed and leaned back against the wall and Theo went to the mouth of the cave, trying to see if the snowfall was slowing down any. It wasn't. He pulled his wand out of his waistband and cast a tempus charm, noticing that it was approaching 5pm. Hopefully the blizzard would abate some soon, or they faced a cold evening in this cave.

"Here," he said, throwing the shrunken picnic basket to her and watching as she enlarged it, "I'm going to conjure a fire, you set that out."

She nodded and he conjured some waterproof fir and hovered it in the middle of the cave. He felt the warmth immediately and the cave lit up, allowing him to see it properly for the first time. He gasped as he spied something on the wall.

"Maya?" He asked and she looked up at him, "look at this."

She came to stand next to him and gasped as she took in some cave paintings and stains in the shape of handprints. This gave must be ancient for there to be this kind of art here. He wondered how many people had sheltered from bad weather here before they did.

As he watched, Hermione laid her open hand against the wall, next to a handprint and compared them.

"These are a child's handprints," she told him, "look, they're even smaller than mine would be and my hands are tiny."

He laid his hand next to hers and they both snorted. His hand dwarfed her hand, letalone the ancient handprint on the wall. He loved that she was so petite. She barely came up to his shoulder and he enjoyed holding her there, protecting her from harm.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

After they had eaten their fill of the picnic Harvey had packed for them, Theo sat with his back on the rear wall of the cave and Hermione between his raised knees. His arms held her around the shoulders and his chin rested on top of her head. She was extremely comfortable.

"Can we carry on asking each other questions?" She asked and he hummed his agreement, giving her a squeeze. "What was your favorite subject at school?"

"You'll laugh." He told her and she tilted her head back to look up at him, "History of Magic."

"Really?" She asked, surprised but understanding.

"I know most people hated it, but that was more because Binns was impossibly dull, not because of the subject matter. If people actually listened, it's actually quite fascinating." He said, grinning down at her.

"I agree," she said, nodding when he frowned, "You have to remember, I was brought up by muggles. The only goblins and elves I ever knew of fixed shoes at night time for a cobbler or helped Santa to make his presents."

"You're kidding, right?" He asked confusedly and she shook her head. Theo snorted.

"Then to come into this world and find out that goblins had their own armies and forged a rebellion against humans, it's incredible. To think that most of the world doesn't know about that, it's mind boggling." She murmured and he nodded.

"What about you? What was your favorite?" He asked and she pondered it for a second before replying.

"Charms for the teacher, Potions for the classwork." She nodded decisively. "Okay, what is your biggest goal in life, Theodore Nott?"

"A family." He said immediately and she turned her head, surprised to see his eyes had become slightly glazed, "A proper one. A happy home with more than two kids and a marriage full of love."

Hermione gawped at him and he sniffed, rubbing his hands down his face before he turned to face her, smiling gently at the look of shock on her face.

"You seem surprised." He said and she shrugged.

"Not because you want that, I mean that's my dream too, but that you feel so strongly about it. Why does the thought effect you so much?"

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

He had known that, at some point, he would end up telling her about his childhood. It's not like it came as a shock or that he was ever planning on hiding it from him, but that didn't make what he was about to tell her any less shocking to hear or easier to say.

"My childhood was…" he searched for the right word, "Miserable, at best. Not a lot of people know the truth about it, and I hate to talk about it, so you'll have to bear with me."

"Theo, I-"

"No, I'm not hiding anything from you it's just… A lot of disgusting facts that you're going to have to hear, ok?" He asked and she nodded, turning to face him and taking his hands in hers, rubbing her thumbs across his knuckles as a small offer of comfort. "My father, was the biggest bastard I have ever known. He found happiness out of causing pain to others. It didn't matter how. With his wand, whip, or his fist, he didn't care. He regularly beat my mother until the day she died and he didn't stop beating me until he died."

Hermione gasped and squeezed his hands, he smiled weakly at her before taking a deep breath and continuing.

"When I was five, he went too far in one of his 'punishments' of my mother and she died because of her injuries. He paid off the Wizengamot and they let him remain free. I'd become his only target and, well, you get the picture." He looked up to see Hermione's eyes wet and tears streaming down her face. He wiped her tears before replacing his hands in hers. "I looked forward to escaping to Hogwarts. Months at a time away from him and his beatings. But that only meant for worse beatings when I was here."

"All my life he drummed into me that I was a superior being, my blood was pure, but I never believed it. I couldn't. I know the lineage of most 'pureblood' families and they all have muggle blood somewhere in their lines, did you know?" He asked and she shook her head, "the Malfoy's had a wizard/muggle marriage as close as five generations ago, so technically, Draco is a half blood. But it's all hush hush because his family is rich enough to bribe the records department."

"Malfoy isn't pureblood?" She asked with weak grin and Theo nodded, chuckling.

"Anyway, my dad gave me as a gift to Voldemort on the Christmas after my 17th birthday. I never wanted the mark, but if my father had known of my true beliefs he would have killed me like he killed my mother." He told her before shrugging. "That's the concise version, anyway.

"Bloody hell." Hermione whispered, "No wonder you feel so strongly in your desire for a normal, happy family."

Theo looked at her and his heart almost burst from his chest at the feelings of affection for this girl. To have someone, as pure and loving as she is, to care for him. He wondered whether she would be part of his dream?


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

It was nearing midnight and the couple had fallen asleep a little over two hours ago when Hermione was woken by a familiar feeling in her bladder. The magical fire was still burning brightly and she could see and hear the blizzard still raging. She sighed and rolled over, shaking Theo's shoulder to wake him him. His eyes opened immediately in concern.

"What? What's wrong?" He asked moving his eyes over her face.

"I really really need to pee." Hermione told him and he sat up, groaning.

"Uh, Alright," he muttered, dragging his hand down his face, "Use a shield charm to protect yourself and don't go more than 10 steps away from the cave, ok?"

Hermione nodded and pecked him on the lips before stepping to the mouth of the cave, flicking her wand to form a bubble of protected space around herself. She counted ten steps, battling against the strong winds, and quickly pulled down her jeans, squatting to empty her bladder as she held her wand between her teeth.

When she had finished her business, she stood and pulled up her jeans, shivering at the bitter temperature as it hit her skin. In the dark, she couldn't see a foot in front of her and found herself frighteningly disorientated. She gazed around her, trying to figure out in which direction the cave was.

Starting to panic, she closed her eyes and tried to remember which way the wind had been blowing when she had left the tent but the roar of the wind was distracting, and she couldn't remember.

"Theo?!" She screamed out, hoping she would hear his voice but nothing came back to her.

Her breathing and heart rates increasing at a terrifying rate, she decided that moving was better than standing still and turned around to walk back the way she hoped she had come. She took two steps before her foot couldn't find the ground any more and she shrieked as she fell to the ground, feeling her head make contact with something hard before the world went black.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo was sitting, worried, and gazing into the fire when he heard her voice calling her name and his head snapped up, turning to the mouth of the cave. Her voice was clear and, assuming her to be upwind, He gazed out into the night but the snow made it impossible to see anything.

"Maya!" He bellowed, knowing that if she was in fact upwind, it would be useless. "HERMIONE!"

Swearing to himself, He cast a shield charm and stepped out of the cave, heading against the wind for the ten steps he had told her to go, glancing as best he could as he went, but he caught no glimpse of her anywhere. He was beginning to panic, he needed to find her.

Suddenly, he heard something that made his blood run cold and his stomach clench from straight in front of him. The sound of her scream sent him surging forward and there, about four meters before him was a slumped mass, lying motionless on the ground.

He sprinted the final distance, dropping to his knees in the snow next to her and rolled her over, bringing her head onto his lap. He wanted to vomit when he saw that the snow was stained red and she had blood trickling from a wound on the side of her head. He put his wand between his teeth and carefully scooped her up in his arms, turning exactly half the way around, knowing that it was at least the vague direction of the cave.

He took the ten steps and squinted, trying to see something, anything. He took another step forward and almost dropped to his knees with relief when he saw the bright light of magical fire. Sending silent prayers of thanks to whatever gods were watching over them that night and lurched forward.

He stumbled around the fire and kneeled at the back of the cave, as far away from the opening to the outside as possible and gently laid her down on the stone floor, wincing when blood began to pool upon it. Pulling his wand from his mouth and cancelling his previous charm, he touched it to her head and muttered the only healing charm he knew. Sighing with relief when the skin began to knit together slowly.

"Fuck." He muttered aloud when he heard a moan leave her lips, letting himself fall sideways and leaning against the back wall of the cave, holding her hand to his chest as she woke up. He closed his eyes and dropped his head back against the cave wall.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione blinked slowly, letting the sudden light and warmth of the fire seep into her body as she awoke. Her head felt like it was about to explode and she could feel weight in her hair that had not been there. Raising a hand slowly to touch her hair, she gasped as it came away sticky and red.

"Honey?" Came a voice, and she slowly turned her head in it's direction, coming face to face with a pale and panic stricken Theo.

He leaned forward and brushed his fingers down her cheek, his eyes flitting rapidly around her face. She could feel that his hand was shaking against her skin.

"Theo…" she sighed, grimacing as she tried to push herself upright and the pain in her head doubled. "What happened?"

"No idea," he sighed, shaking his head and moving to sit behind her for support, "You shouted my name so I came looking for you. I found you unconscious and bleeding and carried you back."

His voice was hoarse and she felt his arms pull her tightly against him. He whimpered suddenly and she turned her body to look at him, finding this eyes shut tightly and his entire face contorted with pain.

"Theo?" She whispered and his eyes flickered open and met hers, "Are you hurt?"

He shook his head and she suddenly felt his lips on hers like they had never been before. It was lips and tongues and teeth and he moaned into her mouth as he ravaged it.

He pulled away some moments later, pressing his forehead to hers. Their heavy, fevered breath mixed between them and his hands cupped either side of her neck.

"Fuck, Maya," he gasped, "I thought I'd lost you. What if I'd not found you? You could have…"

"Theo…" she sighed and his fingers tightened on her neck. "Theo it's ok. I'm here. I'm ok."

He shook his head against hers and suddenly threw his arms around her neck, pulling her tightly against him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, frowning at this emotion that was coming from him. It seemed so… Desperate.

"I've only had you for a week, Maya," he whispered into her ear and she rubbed his back in comfort, "And I already find that I don't ever want to let you go."

She nodded against him and felt tears well up in her eyes as he pulled back and held her gently by her jaw. His eyes were glazed and she knew that he meant every word he was saying.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving, Theo."


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo didn't sleep for the rest of the night spent in the cave. He refused to let her out of his sight and he promised himself that he would watch her sleep to make sure that she was ok. He knew how differently everything could have gone that night. If he had ignored her call or chosen to go in a different direction, or the wind had been blowing a East instead of West. So many variables, and it only took one of them to change for the chances of him losing her to increase dramatically.

A week since she had come into his life and he was already starting to forget what it had been like without her. Lonely, that was for sure. Meals eaten alone and solitary drinking just to be near other people. Weeks without a real conversation, diving headfirst into books because they offered an escape and now…

She had brought so much light and laughter into his life. His home felt warmer just for her presence and he woke up expectant and excited for the day. He had never connected with anyone as he had with her. With Hermione it was easy, without pressure and free from expectations. They just were.

He glanced down at her head in his lap and stroked his fingers through her hair where it lay draped over his leg. His mind was tired but his heart was racing as he watched her. He couldn't deny that, as insane as it sounded, he was quickly falling for her, in every sense of the word.

He wondered whether he should perhaps be scared of this, that he could fall so easily. But in truth he felt no fear, only happiness and joy. He smiled softly as she shifted in his lap and rolled onto her back. Her eyes flickered, though they did not open and he allowed his eyes to drift to the mouth of the cave.

He gasped as he realised that the only sound he could hear was the crackling of the fire and her soft breaths. The wind, which had previously roared so loudly had disappeared and the world outside the gave was silent and bathed in the pink and orange hues of sunrise. His thoughts had occupied him so much that it felt as though he had looked up onto a completely new landscape.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

She smiled to herself as she watched his eyes search the distance of the view from their cave. In the low light of dawn, his eyes burned with the reflection of the fire and a new day. He was a sight to behold. Deciding that her feelings needed thinking over, she closed her eyes, feigning sleep as he watched over her.

Theo had rescued her in more ways than one, that she was absolutely certain of. He had freely accepted her into his home when the people who claimed to love her had abandoned her so easily, providing sanctuary and security, but also company and conversation. She felt no pressure with him, no requirement to give anything that she didn't want to give and it was this that had allowed her to be so open with him.

She held no secrets with him. Just as she had told him so honestly about his dark and cruel childhood, she would tell him everything that had brought her to this point in life, by his side in this cave having spent the night sheltering from the storm.

He had given her reason to smile and provided so many moments of laughter in the last week when she had felt the happiest she has felt in years. Though the war was over, it had haunted her throughout the last six months and she had carried the weight of Rons death on her back for the last month. It had been such a heavy weight and he had helped to carry it, to assure her that whatever had happened it was not her that had caused his death.

Though she thought of Harry and the Weasleys, she couldn't bring herself to miss them as she would have expected herself to. She now felt more anger than sadness towards them, especially Harry, for his abandonment of her. For all the times she had been the only one standing steadfastly by his side, this was his repayment.

But Theo had been the one who held her hand and kept her from focusing too much on the things she couldn't change. He kept her pushing forward and with him she thought of a future. A future that he played a huge part in. It had been one week since he had taken pity on her and offered her a home, even if it proved to be temporary. One week since his first words of defence of her worth.

She was rapidly falling in love with him and her heart swelled as she realised it wouldn't be long until it hit her full force. And she wanted it to, because everything with him clicked perfectly into place, like two halves of a previously fractured whole. It felt good, and it felt right.

She smiled as she opened her eyes and found him gazing down upon her with a small and gentle smile gracing his lips. She reached for his hand and pulled it to her lips, kissing the pad of his thumb.

"Morning." She breathed against his skin and she saw a flush of color spread across his cheeks.

"Morning beautiful," he smiled, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm ok. I enjoyed waking up to see your face." She told him and he chuckled.

"I think I could wake up to your face every morning and never get over how amazing it feels." He said, grinning happily and Hermione sighed, nodding.

"Do you think we should head back to the hall?" Hermione asked as she pushed herself up and turned her body to face him, "Harvey is probably half panicked with worry and we don't know if the storm will pick up again."

"It's probably a good idea," Theo agreed and he flicked his wand to extinguish the fire, "Are you ok to walk? Do you want me to carry you?"

"Just hold my hand, that's more than enough for me." Hermione laughed as he pulled her out of the cave and into the early morning.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Just as Hermione had suspected, as soon as she and Theo stepped through the wards they found a very angry looking little house elf standing on the back patio, hands on his hips and his foot tapping in impatience. Hermione heard Theo groan from beside her and snorted in amusement as she stepped forward, shaking her head.

"Hello, Harv-"

"Harvey has been waiting for young master and miss all night! I has not slept! Where have young master and miss been? Harvey saw the snow and Harvey thought young master and miss would come home but no master and no miss!" The elf was, clearly, very annoyed.

"Harvey-" started Theo but the elf was not done.

"And then Harvey feels young masters worry but Harvey could not leave the wards! Young master is troubling Harvey and this elf is very angry with young master!"

"Harvey!" Hermione pleaded, but the elf shot her a discouraging look.

"Does young master and miss know what they be doing to an old elf?! Harvey is indeed a very old elf! I is too old for this!" He huffed and glared between the two of them. "Master and miss is to get into this house right this very second! Harvey is going to make hot drinks and you is both to rest! I is so angry with you young both!"

The elf stomped his foot and huffed before turning and disappearing. Hermione turned with her jaw hanging to find Theo blushing profusely and looking very sheepish. She shook her head in disbelief and frowned up at him.

"Did we just get told off for staying out too late… By a house elf?" She asked and Theo snorted.

"Believe it or not, it's not the first time." He chuckled, taking her hand and pulling her inside.

They went straight into the lounge and Harvey was standing in front of the sofa, pointing at it with his face contorted in anger. Hermione snorted as they sat down on the sofa and were immediately covered with a thick blanket and cups of hot tea were shoved into their hands.

"You is to stay right here!" Harvey screeched and stomped off toward the kitchen.

Hermione and Theo looked at each other with wide eyes and promptly burst out laughing. It had been a very weird few hours.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo found Hermione, once they had been allowed to leave the lounge, in the pool as he often did in the afternoons and he rolled up his jeans and sat down on the edge, letting his feet dangle in the water. She was a graceful swimmer, and he watched as she swam a few lengths before she stopped at the end and glanced over, noticing him sitting there. She grinned at the sight of him and swam over, stopping between his legs and looking up at him.

"How's Harvey?" She grinned and Theo rolled his eyes.

"Still angry," he laughed, brushing some wet hair away from her face, "He just used his magic to pin me to my chair in the library and rambled about safety and listening to his advice for almost an hour."

Hermione snorted at the thought. Theo was mortified that he had been bested by the little elf who barely came up to his belly button. He was over six feet tall and still Harvey saw fit to treat him like his five year old self at times. Harvey definitely had an interesting personality, but Theo was incredibly thankful that the elf had been by his side throughout his life.

He had been loyal to his mother, and had come to the house with her when she married his father. When his father had killed her, his mother's elf had feigned a transferance of loyalty to him in order to stay in the house, but he only remained to care for his Mistresses son, almost becoming somewhat of a parent to the young boy.

"Will you sleep with me tonight?" He asked suddenly and Hermione gawped up at him, "No! I don't mean… well, that. I just meant will you sleep in my room, with me?"

Last night, though he hadn't slept much, he had felt better and more rested just for having her by his side. It was the first time in his life that he had slept with anybody, and it had turned out to be wonderful. He wanted to know how it felt to actually sleep the whole night next to her and wake up with her beside him. He needed to know.

"Uh… Ok." She stammered and he grinned. "Only if you get in the pool."

His grin fell away abruptly and he groaned, allowing himself to fall back onto the tiled floor. He hasn't expected her hands to wrap around one of his feet and he definitely hadn't expected to feel himself start to move toward the pool.

"Maya! No!" He squawked, trying to grab on to something but finding nothing within reach.

"Get in the pool." She told him, her voice strained as she pushed against the edge of the pool with her feet and tried to pull him in.

"I'm fully dressed! Let go!" He begged and she laughed as he lifted himself up to look at her, frowning.

"Just do it." She snapped and he shook his head.

"Do you want me to sleep with you tonight?" She asked, blushing slightly as she let go of his ankle. He could see her hands fall to her hips as she stood in the water.

"Well yeah, but-"

"So get in." Her hands grabbed his ankle. "The bloody." Her feet came up against the side. "Pool!"

"Don't you dare!" He squealed, but it was too late.

Theo felt his bottom leave the tiles and found himself falling into the water, flailing his arms as he tried to get himself up to the surface. In his flailing, his foot grazed the bottom of the pool and he pushed himself upright, finding that the water only came up to his ribs.

He huffed as he heard Hermione cackling somewhere off to his left, but he couldn't see her as his hair had fallen over his eyes and was currently acting as a very wet blindfold. He reached up and pushed it out of his face, opening his eyes and turning in the direction of her incessant laughter.

"Nice, Maya." He huffed and she snorted.

"It got you in, didn't it?" She asked, swimming over and standing in front of him.

"So not funny." He said, though the corners of his lips twitched upwards.

"So why do you want to laugh?" She asked smugly with her eyebrow raised and he snorted, shaking his head.

"You are utterly ridiculous, you know that?" He sighed happily and put his hands on her sides, pulling closer and dropping his lips onto hers.

"Mhmm" she hummed, against his lips.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione got ready for bed in her own room that night, opting for some three quarter length black pyjama trousers and a grey vest top. She brushed her teeth and hair and grabbed her book before heading down the hall to Theo's room and knocking on the door, hearing her call her inside.

She found him already in bed with his back leaning against the headboard and a book open, pages down on his lap. He grinned as she came in and she hesitantly walked around the bed and pulled the covers down, climbing in and sitting next to him.

He was topless, allowing her to see his toned upper body in all of its glory. And oh it was glorious. His muscles were obvious and his chest chiseled. He had no hair on his chest but she glimpsed a small trail of dark hair heading down from his belly button.

"Hello." He chuckled and she snapped her eyes up to his face, blushing.

"Hi." She smiled nervously.

He snorted and picked his book up, marking his page before he closed it and moved to put it back on his bedside table where it usually was. He took her book from her and put it on top. Turning to her, he shuffled down on the bed and laid his head on his pillow, indicating for her to do the same. She laid herself down opposite him and they lay side by side, gazing into each other's eyes, neither of them speaking as they fell asleep safe in the knowledge that they were together.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Following that night, which both Theo and Hermione agreed was the most restful and solid nights sleep since the war, Hermione spent every night in bed beside Theo. The physical aspect of their relationship progressed slightly, as would be expected by two people sharing a bed. They saw each other undressed and hands and mouths did their exploring, but neither of them was ready to take the leap of giving themselves up fully, so neither pushed for it.

Two weeks later, a week before Christmas, Hermione awoke Theo with plans of dragging him to Diagon Alley to buy their presents and he reluctantly agreed on the condition that they split up once they arrived, as her present needed to be kept a secret.

They had arrived 10 minutes ago and were just about to split up when Theo turned to Hermione and pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the crown of her head.

"The Weasleys are here." He murmured, offering her a warning and he felt her go stiff in his arms, "Do you want to stick together or are you ok splitting up?"

She pulled back and pushed herself up on her tiptoes, placing a warm kiss to his cheek. She smiled up at him and he stroked her cheek with his thumb, her eyes fluttering at the contact.

"I can't avoid them all my life," She said quietly with a shrug, "I'll come find you if I need you, ok?"

Theo nodded and kissed her once more before he walked away from her, glancing back to see her disappearing into the festive crowds. He turned and focused his attention on his destination, walking into the dark shop and smiling as he found the perfect gift.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione had made a dash towards a magical jewellers once she had left Theo, her first stop on her list. She was planning to buy Theo a watch that at first glance told the time, but at the tap of his wand it turned into something similar to the Weasleys clock, that told of the whereabouts of people important to the wearer. Whoever wore it, the watch would read their thoughts and add people to it's face.

Once purchased and hidden in her bag, she moved on to her next target, a book about curse breaking that she knew would help Theo to clear the remaining dark magic from Nott Hall, left by his father. She had just picked up the book from the shelf when she heard a voice behind her, a painfully familiar voice.

"I heard that she's shacked up with the Nott boy," said Molly Weasley, "such a shame that she would choose to lay with a death eater, especially after what she did to my Ronny…"

Molly was standing by the till talking to the shopkeeper, at least from what she could see out of her peripheral vision. Her hair was tied in a long braid down her back and covered with a beanie hat, so Molly had obviously not recognised her from behind before she started shamelessly gossiping about someone she had once called her second daughter. Hermione remained where she was and eaves

dropped on the conversation.

"It's disgusting that she would so shamelessly flaunt him around here…" sighed the shopkeeper and Molly snorted.

"It's not as though she hasn't done something similar before, dear." Molly told the woman behind the till, "Back in her fourth year she was stepping out on my Harry with that Krum man."

"No!" The shopkeeper gasped, "I didn't believe that in the Prophet for a second! So it was true then?"

"Oh yes, Hermione has always been a tad shameless like that..."

Hermione bit back a sob as she stood rooted to her spot facing the bookshelves, listening to a woman she had loved like a second mother describe her so horribly. She couldn't believe that Molly would ever believe those things of her, letalone to gossip so freely with a stranger about her. She heard the door to the shop open and Theos voice calling out to her.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

"She always thought about herself first and foremost, and then to do that to my Ronny... Such a shame." Said the redheaded woman at the till and Theo glared at her as she turned to stare unabashedly at him.

"Maya?" He called, never taking his eyes off of the woman and he heard Hermione clear her throat.

He turned to find her standing facing the shelves barely four feet from the woman at the till, clearly having overheard her ridiculous gossiping. He sighed and stepped over to her. Running his hand over the back of her head, he leaned into her and whispered in her ear.

"You ok, honey?" She shook her head, "Would you like me to say something to her?" She shook her head again and seemed to find strength from his presence, turning around to face the Weasley matriarch.

The woman's eyes widened slightly as she realised that Hermione had overheard every word she had said and she opened her mouth to say something, but closed it in the face of Hermione's glare.

"Carry on." Hermione said lightly, though Theo could feel her shaking next to him, "Please, Molly, don't let me stop you."

She took Theo's hand and pulled him forward, roughly barging past the woman and slamming her book down on the counter. Before turning back to face the older witch again.

"It's such a shame that, in order to spite me, you feel the need to hash up old stories that you yourself have admitted to being completely false, hmm?" She smiled tightly and the Weasley gawped at her.

"Now, Hermione I-"

"No no, it's quite ok, Molly. I understand that you are painfully lacking in tact and public decorum. Please, I'll just buy this book for my Boyfriend and leave you to your shameless gossiping." She said, pulling some Galleons from her pocket and throwing them at the shopkeeper.

She took Theo's hand once again, who up until now had been gawping at her himself, having never heard her talk in such a way. Pulling him towards the door, he reached for the handle and pulled the door open but he felt Hermione stop and turn once more.

"I consider myself incredibly lucky that you never became my mother in law. Goodbye Molly."

He allowed her to drag him quickly down the Alley and into the Leaky Cauldron, through to a corner table and watched as she collapsed into a chair. She dropped her head into her hands and her shoulders began to shake. Thinking that she was upset and crying over the encounter, he pulled out a chair and set it next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

However, when Hermione lifted her head up to look at him, her mouth was open and she was… Laughing. Her laughter, which had been silent until this point, suddenly burst audibly from her and she held her hands to her sides, leaning her forehead against his chest. She eventually calmed and looked up to him, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.

"That felt… So fucking good." She snorted, "Her face!"

They both ended up laughing loudly at what had just occured.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Christmas morning was crisp and clear. The hills were covered in snow, and when Hermione awoke and turned to look out of the window of their room, she found something that looked liked the front of the most beautiful Christmas card. She grinned and stretched out her arms before rolling over and pressed a kiss to Theo's cheek.

He grunted as he started to wake up and rolled over to face her, throwing his arm around her waist in his half asleep state. She chuckled as he pulled her towards him and she found herself crushed to his chest. She made the most of the new position and peppered his chest with kisses, pulling back to find him looking at her through one open eye.

"What time is it?" He asked and she twisted to look at the clock above the mantel.

"8 o'clock," she smiled and he snorted as he closed his eye again, so she poked him in the ribs. "Oh no you don't. It's Christmas, come on."

Hermione pulled herself from the bed and pulled the sheets up on her side before crossing the room into the adjoining bathroom. She rolled her eyes while she brushed her teeth as she heard the sound of Theo's soft snores drifting through the open door. When she had finished her morning routine, she went back in and yanked the sheets off of him.

Suddenly, he was awake and sitting up, glaring at her. She snorted and put her hands on her hips, eyebrow raised, daring him to say something. He dared.

"How old are you?" He laughed and she rolled her eyes.

"I am 20 as you well know, and as your elder I demand you wake up." She grinned.

"You're also almost a foot shorter than me, don't push me, woman." He chuckled, groaning as he stood from the bed and stretched.

Hermione walked to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, tiptoeing to give him a gentle kiss on the lips. He smiled against her lips and wrapped his arms around her neck, hugging her tight when she pulled away from the kiss.

"It's Christmas." Hermione grinned as she pulled away from him.

"Oh, it is? I thought it was easter." He deadpanned and Hermione threw his dressing gown at him, which smacked into his face.

"Ha. Ha." She said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Can we go and open presents?"

"You already gave me my present." Theo pointed out, recalling the book she had bought during her dressing down of Molly Weasley that she hadn't bothered to wrap, as he'd already seen it.

"No I gave you A present." She told him, "You have another. A special one."

"I wasn't expecting another present." He muttered and she grinned at him.

"That was kind of the point." She nodded, grabbing his hand and pulling him from the room and all the way to the lounge.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione had insisted that they at least decorate a tree this year, and Theo had reluctantly agreed. That was before he found that she wanted them to cut down a tree in the forest near the Hall and bring it home. He had laughed at first, thinking that she was joking. She was not. Theo had spent the afternoon two days ago first magically chopping down and then levitating a massive tree home for them to decorate. It was utter insanity and the tree had barely fit through the door, but he had to admit that it looked truly beautiful once she had decorated it.

Much like Flitwick had done back at hogwarts, she had used spells and enchantments to decorate the tree. The tree held thousand of candles, one on almost every branch and the room was lit enough by them that they hadn't needed to use the lights for the last two nights. Tucked in between the branches were golden stars and baubles. It was simple, but it was lovely.

Hermione had dragged him into the room and shoved him down on the sofa before running to the tree and pulling out a small box. He watched as she moved excitedly about the room with a huge grin on her face, enjoying seeing her so happy. When she had retrieved the gift and returned to sit next to him, she told him to hold out his hand and he followed her instruction.

She placed a box wrapped in golden paper into his hands and grinned up at him, nodding to encourage him to unwrap it. Slowly peeling the paper off of the box, he uncovered a box with the familiar logo of the Magical Jewellers in Diagon Alley on it. He frowned, looking up at her. Anything from that shop would surely have been very expensive. Suddenly he felt that his gift would be hugely disappointing to her.

"Open it!" She said, grinning up at him.

He sighed, flipping open the lid and found a very nice watch with an black face and silver band. The hands of the clock were also silver and there was an emerald in the place of each number.

"Maya, this is-"

"It's special." She told him, "Put it on."

He took it from the box and secured the metal band on his wrist and watched confused as she pulled her wand from the pocket of her dressing gown and tapped it to the face of the watch. Suddenly it appeared different and he gasped when he raised it closer to his face.

"Each hand is a person that you deeply care about. The sections around the outside tell you where they are or if they're in danger." She grinned and he turned to look at her, shocked at her thoughtfulness.

"Did you programme the people? It's you and Harvey." He asked and she frowned, pulling his wrist close to her face.

Hermione had her own hand, labelled "Maya", and it was pointing to home. He saw that her eyes welled with tears as she turned back to him, though she was still smiling softly. He frowned and she sniffled, wiping her eyes before she spoke.

"It reads whoever wears it. Your heart and mind." She sniffled and he nodded, pulling her into a hug.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

She hadn't been expecting to show up on the watch for some reason. The watch read true feelings of love. To appear on the watch, a person had to be held in your heart. In short: Theo loved her. Truly. She didn't want to tell him that though. Not yet. Not if he wasn't sure himself. He had to figure it out for himself.

He had thanked her for the watch and she had showed him the spell to change it's face before Theo got up and left the room. She frowned after him and sighed when he called out and told her to close her eyes. She did, and she heard him come back into the room, but then everything fell silent.

"Theo?" She asked, frowning with her eyes shut tight. She breathed a sigh of relief when he cleared his throat.

"Ok so I didn't really know what to get you, I'm not very good at this." He started, sounding nervous, "And the watch is… Well it's amazing. And I don't want you to be disappointed. If you want something else, I'll buy you anything you want but…"

She felt it as he stepped in front of her and she could smell his aftershave. She heard a click and some rustling and then the sound of something being dropped onto the floor before he spoke again.

"Open your eyes, Maya."


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione squealed with the biggest grin she could possibly manage on her face, her eyes growing wet as they gazed fixedly on what he held in his arms. She reached out with shaky hands and glanced up at Theo, who smiled softly and let her lift it from his arms.

"A kitten?" She squeaked and he nodded, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, obviously doubting doubting himself.

"I know you had that really ug- uh… funny looking cat at Hogwarts and this little guy was in need of a home. I know it's not much but-"

She cut him off with a passionate kiss, keeping the kitten against her chest with one arm and pulling Theo to her with a hand on the back of the neck. Theo grunted at the force of her lips and she smiled against it.

"Crookshanks was ugly," She chuckled, having caught his slip up, "But he was wonderful. He died, not long after the war, and I've always wanted another cat. Theo, that you thought of that, something personal. That means so much to me."

She watched as he nodded and pulled him down for another quick kiss before turning her face down to the kitten she held. He was a beautiful little guy, with black and white striped fur and the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. She lifted him up to her face and looked into his eyes, laughing when he put a paw on her nose.

"Erotas." She said, confidently and the kitten meowed, removing his paw and Hermione grinned up at Theo .

"What?" He frowned and she laughed.

"His name. Erotas. It's greek." She explained and he nodded in understanding.

"What does it mean?" He asked and she blushed, turning her gaze back to the kitten and scratching him behind the ears before putting him down on the floor and conjuring a small ball of wool to keep him entertained.

"Love." She said and he grinned, pulling her to him.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

They didn't receive any other gifts for Christmas, but Theo felt extremely grateful for his gift from her. It was the Christmas since before his mother had died that he could remember enjoying. He was truly happy, and it was all thanks to her.

They spent the rest of the day curled around each other on the sofa talking about their previous Christmases and her families muggle traditions. He listened as she told him some muggle Christmas stories and thoroughly relaxed with her. It felt perfect to him.

Erotas turned out to be a complete menace. His claws were repeatedly dug into Theo's thigh as he tried to climb into his lap and when Harvey had called them through to the dining room for the traditional roast dinner, he had ended up fleeing the room being pursued by the kitten. This, at least, was very amusing to witness.

In the evening, as they let their food settle in their stomachs, Theo lit the fire and Hermione opened a bottle of wine, relaxing on the sofa with her feet on his lap and a very worn out Erotas asleep on her stomach.

"What's your favorite memory?" Theo asked suddenly and laid his head against the back of the sofa, turning it to look at her.

"That's easy." She grinned and he cocked his brow, "Finding out I was a witch. That I wasn't just a freak."

"A freak?" Theo asked, confused and Hermione sighed, putting her wine glass on the coffee table and turning to him.

"When I was a little girl, no-one that my family knew had any idea that magic was even real, letalone that I would possess it. And then all of these things started to happen, weird things, accidental magic I've since find out."

"Like levitating teddy bears and stuff?" He asked and Hermione nodded before continuing.

"But these things didn't just happen at home. At school, the other kids treated me like I was diseased, like if they came near me they would die or something. I had no friends and I was bullied horribly. Then this letter is delivered by McGonagall, telling me that the things I can do are not only normal, but that I am going to go to a school where I can be with other people who can do them."

"You must have been relieved." He murmured, reaching out to stroke her hair and she nodded.

"Of course, but then I get there and I don't fit in there, either," she shrugged, "But that's another story."

"I didn't have it easy the first couple of years at Hogwarts, either. The other Slytherins weren't just judgemental of the other houses, they judged their own, too." He told her and she frowned at him, reaching for his hand and clutching it in hers, holding it to her chest.

"What do you mean?" She asked gently.

"Well I didn't exactly try to agree with their prejudices for the first couple of years. I didn't think purebloods were superior to half-bloods or muggleborns and I didn't try to hide it. It wasn't until third year that I started to lie to fit in, if only to stop my father from beating me every holiday." He shrugged and she pulled him down to her, laying his head against her chest and running her fingers through his hair.

"Did it help?" She murmured and he nodded.

"He still beat me, but it wasn't as brutal." He shrugged and Hermione gasped.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione was stunned. She couldn't believe that any parent would treat a child in such a way. She should be used to such behaviour from Pureblood families by now, but nevertheless it shocked her, especially considering how wonderful and gentle Theo really was. She wished she would have known what his home life was like, that she could have done something to help him, but realistically, what could she have ever done?

She wanted to cheer him up and lift the mood and wracked her brain for a story she could tell him that would take his mind away from this dark place and decided to tell him about her crazy third year.

"In third year, McGonagall arranged for me to have use of a time turner, so that I could do all of the lessons." She started and chuckled when he gasped, pushing up on his elbow and moving up the sofa so that their eyes were level and he could look down at her. "I know, I was crazy. But I didn't only use it for lessons. It was me that freed Sirius Black and the Hippogryff that attacked Malfoy."

"No way!" Theo gasped and she nodded with a grin, "Oh I can't wait to hear this."

"Well, on the last day of exams, we went to visit Hagrid because Buckbeak, the Hippogryff, was about to be executed and we didn't want him to be alone. On the way back, Ron was snatched by a huge black dog and pulled into a tunnel under the Whomping Willow. This is actually quite complicated." She frowned, realising it was a had a story to put into words.

"Well I'm with you so far." Theo chuckled and she shook her head.

She continued to tell him the story of that night and successfully managed to take his mind away from his disgusting father.


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY.**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

On New Years Eve, Hermione persuaded Theo that it would be a great way to bring in the new year by leaving the wards and walking up into the hills, to watch the fireworks that she was sure would be going off at midnight. He had been reluctant, but she really wanted to go and he couldn't bring himself to say no to her.

At 11pm they were just getting ready to leave for their walk when they heard a distant popping sound from outside. Theo frowned and peered out of the window, hoping to figure out the source of the noise. When he found nothing, he turned to Hermione and she shrugged.

"Probably someone letting off their fireworks a bit early." She told him and he nodded, though not entirely convinced. Surely they would let off more than one?

"Stop worrying," Hermione sighed, standing in front of him and pressing a kiss to his lips. "It'll be fine, now let's go! I want to find a good spot."

He was jumpy, knowing that once they were outside the wards they were no longer protected by the enchantments on the house. After the last time they had been out here in the hills, Hermione had cracked her head open and they'd been stranded in a cave in the middle of a snowstorm. Surely tonight had to go better than that?

Her hand was in his as they walked through the garden of the Hall, enjoying the silence of the night and the reassuring company of each other. Hermione had told him that it was a muggle belief that the person you spent the new year with would be with you throughout the year, and he wanted nothing more than to spend the year with her.

He felt the magic ripple around him as they stepped through the wards and the house disappeared from view behind them. Theo suddenly felt his skin prickle, as though he was being watched.

"Probably an animal." Hermione shrugged when he told her what he was feeling.

Hoping she was right, he pulled her away from the house and into the hills, keeping a nervous eye out and occasionally looking behind them to make sure they were alone. The feeling hadn't left him. He didn't mention this to Hermione, not wanting to worry her or hear her tell him it was probably an animal again. He was sure that it wasn't.

He heard a twig snap behind them and he pulled Hermione against him, his chest to her back as he whipped his wand out, aiming it towards the area that the sound had come from, but there was no-one there. Then Hermione disappeared from his arms and his body crumpled to the ground, a familiar and terrifying pain surging through him.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione screamed as she was thrown forcefully against a rock face, hearing the horrific sound of a home snapping as she landed awkwardly on her left hand. She snapped her head as she heard Theo's gasping breaths and her heart caught in her throat as she saw him prone on the ground, his body twitching. Pulling out her wand, she pulled herself to her feet and took a step forwards.

"Hello, mudblood." Came a voice that she recognised from somewhere but couldn't place.

Desperate to get to Theo's side, she threw herself toward him and screamed once again as she was stopped by an invisible barrier. The curse had obviously been lifted from Theo as he was struggling onto his knees, looking up at her, his eyes full of terror and pain.

"Maya, run!" He gasped and a sob tore from her throat.

"I'm not leaving you." She promised, before she noticed a man appear from the shadows behind Theo, his wand pointed directly at her boyfriend.

"Crucio." The voice hissed and she screamed as Theo crumpled again.

"No!" She bellowed through her tears, "Stop it! What do you want?!"

The man dropped the curse and she heard Theo's body desperately gasp, dragging air into his lungs. The man from the shadows flicked his wand, casting the lumos charm, and Hermione gasped as his face became suddenly clear and she gasped out his name.

"Goyle?"

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo was very familiar with the pain of the cruciatus curse. His father, Bellatrix, Voldemort and even Draco had used it on him. There was no escaping the fact that someone was here, torturing him, and Hermione was left to defend herself against their attacker. He knew she was capable, but she should never be in such a situation on her own.

He heard her say his name and turned his head to see his ex housemate, glaring daggers at Hermione. Ignoring the urge to give up, he forced himself onto his knees and faced Goyle.

"Greg?" He rasped and the man turned his glare on Theo. "Why are you doing this?"

"The mudblood," Goyle snickered, "Has tainted you. She's unworthy of this world."

"Don't do this Greg. Whatever reason you have, this cannot end well for you." Theo wheezed, clutching his hand to his ribs, wincing in pain.

"Let him go, Goyle." He heard Hermione shout and turned to look at her.

"Maya, for fuck take, will you just RUN!" He used up all of his energy, bellowing the last word, needing her to go, to be safe, and he fell forward, catching himself on his hands. "Greg, please, let her go."

"Don't think so." Goyle laughed, "You knew this would happen if you didn't keep her safe. Stupefy."

The last thing Theo saw before the world went black was Hermione, sobbing her heart out and pounding her fists against an invisible barrier.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

He didn't know what time it was when he came around. Taking in the immediate surroundings, he was dismayed to see that the sky was brightening with the first morning of the new year. He shakily pushed himself to his feet and stumbled, catching himself against a rock. His head hung, he caught sight of something that made his stomach lurch.

Hermione's wand lay abandoned near the rock face and his eyes travelled up the vertical slab, finding a red mark at about his shoulder height. He slapped his hand to his mouth as a strangled sob escaped him. Closing his eyes and trying to think clearly, he wracked his brain for any clues Goyle had given to where he might have taken his girlfriend. He hated himself when he realised.

Those words. Those last words that Goyle had said to him… 'You knew this would happen if you didn't keep her safe'. Instantly, he knew where she was and it only served to make him feel worse.

She was gone, injured and unarmed. Worst of all, she was being held captive by Draco fucking Malfoy.


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY ONE**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione could hear a steady dripping noise echoing through the chamber when her eyes groggily blinked open, only to discover that she may as well keep them closed. Wherever she was, it was devoid of any source of light - the space was pitch black. She winced as pain shot through her head and moved her hand to try and figure out if she was injured. Dismayed, she felt her wrists come to an abrupt halt as chains rattled. She groaned as she realised that she was shackled to something.

Her movements felt slow and confused, like her brain and body had stopped communicating with one another. Like the signals were jumbled. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and tried to discern other details about her prison.

She was pleased to find that her ankles were unshackled and free, allowing her some degree of movement, though the chains holding her wrists were short, and she couldn't move her arms any more than a foot in any direction. Spreading her hands out, she felt whatever she was leaned against and found the rough surface of stone. She was shackled to a wall.

With her eyes still closed, she listened intently to the world around her and, other than the dripping, she heard one single noise, a long and eerie creek, like an ancient door being slowly opened. She was completely disorientated in the darkness and the sudden creek seemed to bounce off of the walls, leaving her unable to figure out which direction it had originated from.

Suddenly, another creek, this time much closer and accompanied by a growing strip of light in the room, alerted her to someone entering her place of captivity. She turned towards the light source, wincing as the sudden brightness shot fresh waves of pain through her skull. Even through the pain and panic, though, there was no denying who the silhouetted man stood in the doorway was.

"Ah, the mudblood survives!" He said, coming to her and crouching down directly in front of her. "Welcome back to Malfoy Manor."

She spit in his face.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo fell through the wards of the Hall and lay face down on the cold earth, trying to get enough air in his lungs to call for Harvey but finding it almost impossible to breathe. He rolled himself over and lay on his back, desperate to heal enough to get Hermione back but knowing that it wasn't going to happen any time soon.

"Harvey!" He rasped, pain exploding in his throat as he spoke.

The elf appeared in his sight above him and gasped at the state of his master, frantically asking questions that Theo didn't want to answer, even if he'd had the energy. He shook his head and turned his head to the elf, urging him closer so that he could whisper his instructions.

"Go to… Ministry." He hissed between horrifically difficult and painful breaths, feeling wetness escape from his eyes and roll down his cheeks. "Harry…Potter. Please, Hermione…gone."

The elf's eyes widened and he nodded, clicking his fingers and disappearing. Closing his eyes, Theo gathered all of his remaining strength and lifted his wrists bove his face, tapping his wand against the watch she had gotten for Christmas. The Maya hand was pointing at Moral Peril. Theo howled.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

"What do you want from me, Malfoy?" Hermione hissed as he wiped the saliva from his face.

"I want to teach you a lesson," He said calmly, standing up and walking to lean on the table she could now see in the corner of the room, thanks to the light from the still open door. "You see, though the Dark Lord is dead, there are those of us who still believe in his cause."

Hermione snorted and dropped her head back against the wall, chuckling. Who did Draco Malfoy think he was? Was he hoping to command his own army of loyal death eaters and avenge their insane masters death?

"Fancy yourself the new Dark Lord, huh?" She snickered, promptly feeling a hand make stinging contact with her cheek.

"How dare you mock me!" He snarled and she started to giggle.

"Oh I'm terribly sorry, Lord ferret." She snorted and burst into laughter, abruptly stopping when a strong kick hit her in the ribs, leaving her gasping for breath.

"You think you're so fucking clever. Yet here you are. My prisoner." He chuckled and she nodded.

"It's quite clever if you think about it." She told him angrily, "Do you really think that you'll get away with this? Theo will come for me and you'll end up rotting in Azkaban in a cell next door to dear old daddy."

"You're so sure of that, are you?" He asked and she nodded.

"Of course I am. There is no reason for me to doubt him." She hissed and Draco snorted.

"He was a death eater, just like me." He said and she shrugged.

"The difference being that he hated it, while you bragged to anyone who would listen that Voldemort was hiding away in your precious Manor." She laughed when he shuddered as she said Voldemort, "What? So disgusted by the half-blood muggle hater that his name sends shudder through you?"

"You will die here, mudblood filth." He hissed and she shook her head, grinning.

"No I won't." She said, confidently.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

"Harvey knows nothing more, Mr Harry Potter sir, only what young master told Harvey."

"Thank you, Harvey."

"Young master should wake up soon, Mr Harry Potter sir."

Theo gasped as his eyes suddenly shot open and he coughed as he forced his body into a sitting position. Harry Potter was before him in an instant, looking both angry and worried.

"What did you do to her, Nott?" He growled, pointing his wand towards Theo's throat. Theo shook his head.

"Not me." He rasped, his throat feeling like he'd swallowed shards of glass, "Malfoy."

"What?" Harry whispered.

"Malfoy. Told me…Keep her safe." Theo had to swallow heavily after every couple of words as his throat was so dry, "He threatened… Kill her."

"Fuck!" He heard Harry roar and the sound of a fist connecting with plaster. Harvey appeared before Theo with two vials of potion.

"Pain Reliever and Pepper Up, young master." The elf told him, eyeing Theo carefully as he nodded and downed both potions.

"Did you ever report the threat?" Harry asked and Theo shook his head, sighing.

He could feel the potions working their way through his body and soon felt able to push himself up. Swallowing became less painful and he swallowed before clearing his throat, relieved that he was feeling more normal.

"Listen, Potter. She's been gone about…" he glanced at the clock, paling when he discovered it to be 9 o'clock, "Shit, Potter, she's been gone ten hours. We need to go to Malfoy Manor and we need to go now! Are you in?"

"We can't just go-"

"We can't what?" Theo bellowed, "Save her fucking life? Because he is as mad as his father and he WILL kill her. Now are you coming or not?!"

Potter nodded.


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY TWO**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

"For fuck sake, Potter, we need to move!" Theo hissed as they waited outside the gates of Malfoy Manor.

Harry's one condition to storming the Manor immediately had been that they wait for back-up aurors before they enter. Because Narcissa and Draco Malfoy were under house arrest anyway, the Ministry only had to suspect something untoward going on inside to be granted entry. Draco's threat against Hermione's life was more than enough to place him under extreme suspicion.

"We're not going in that house until the back-up arrives," Harry told him, "I'm not going to risk my life or yours. Hermione wouldn't want you throwing yourself in the line of fire for her. Believe me, she's more than capable of handling Malfoy."

"She's everything to me, Potter. If anything happens to her…" Theo trailed off, swallowing the lump that appeared in his throat. "They've got five minutes. If they're not here, I'm going in. With or without you."

"I can't stop you," Harry said, "Just don't get killed and leave her on her all alone."

Theo winced at his words and turned to face him, his face pulling into a fierce glare. Who the hell was Harry to tell him not to leave Hermione alone? Harry was the reason she had been alone in the first place and now he had the cheek to lecture him?

"Are you serious? Did you even hear yourself just now?" Theo hissed and Harry shook his head.

"Now isn't the time." Harry muttered and Theo snorted.

"Got something better to do for the nezt…" he glanced at his watch, "Three and a half minutes?"

"I was a coward, alright?" Harry snapped, "If I lost the Weasleys I would have had nothing."

"She had nothing." Theo sighed, nodding towards the house.

He thought back to that first night that he had seen her in The Three Broomsticks. She had looked so broken and lost, completely alone in the world. Nowhere to go, no friends and only the clothes that she had on at the time. It seemed like a lifetime ago and yet it felt like he had spent barely any time with her at all.

"I love her, you know?" He muttered and turned to face Harry, "And I never fucking told her."

"She bought that watch?" Harry asked, pointing at his wrist and Theo nodded with a frown. "Then she already knows."

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Draco had left the room, plunging her back into darkness, without saying any more. She winced as she shifted her weight, feeling the bones in her wrist shift. She wasn't surprised that he hadn't healed her, after all he was clearly completely insane. She heard the door open again and turned to the light, wincing.

"Ready to die?" Malfoy asked and she snorted

"You're not going to kill me, Malfoy." She told him, "You're a coward."

"You know nothing about me, mudblood. You've no idea what I'm capable of." He hissed and she shrugged.

"I know you weren't capable of killing Dumbledore. I know you fled from the final battle. I know you -"

"CRUCIO!"

The pain was unbearable and Hermione screamed loudly as he body twitched and collapsed on itself. The chains dug into her wrists and her already broken bones shifted agonisingly under her own weight. She bit down on her lip, tasting copper as her blood spilled. As quickly as it had come, it ended, and she gasped for breath.

"You call that torture?" She breathed.

She needed to keep him angry. If he was riled up, he would want to keep her alive, see her pain. If he got bored with her she was as good as dead. She needed to keep going, keep pushing. She needed to make it back to Theo. The man she loved.

"You'd be dead by now if Goyle's confundus charm had worked." Draco drawled.

"He always was an idiot." She snorted weakly. "Couldn't you find a better sidekick?"

She felt it acutely as he sent a slicing hex at her thigh. Her blood seeping through her jeans and running down the the floor, pooling. She glanced at her leg and winced as she found a deep gash running across her leg, about 6 inches long. She thought she could see bone.

"Oh look, not muddy." She breathed, chuckling tiredly. "Just like yours."

His hand was around her throat and his face settled inches away from hers. She could smell his breath, feel it against her skin. She tried to turn her head but he held her chin, forcing her to look at him. When he spoke, droplets of spittle landed on her face, making her wince.

"Your blood is nothing like mine." He spat and she laughed in his face, dropping her hand into the pool of her own blood before lifting her hand and smearing it all over his face.

"Fuck you." She snarled as he scrambled away, trying to wipe it off in disgust.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

The auror back up arrived just as Theo began a ten second countdown until the time he was going to go in without them. Harry briefed them on the situation before the all turned to him expectantly. He frowned back at them and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Most likely places to find her?"

"Oh." He muttered, "Bedrooms in the West wing or dungeons. The dungeons are a fucking maze but I know the layout."

"Alright. I'll go with Theo and the rest of you," he turned to the five aurors, "Take the West wing."

Thankful that he could finally attempt to rescue her, Theo took off through the gates at a sprint. His dark mark allowed him unobstructed access to the entire house and he knew exactly where he needed to go.

There was a room in the center of the maze that the Malfoys called their dungeons, that had been feared by all death eaters. It was known as the Hell chamber. Voldemort would chain you up down there and seal you in, allowing sensory deprivation to drive you mad. Draco had been put in there more times than the rest of them put together. That's exactly where he would take her.

He heard Potter shouting and running behind him as he flicked his wand at the main doors to the house, sending them flying off of their hinges. Without looking back he pressed on, towards the kitchen, towards the dungeons. Towards his Maya.


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY THREE**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione glared at Draco as he slowly stood up, his face still smeared with her blood and his eyes frantic and crazy in the low light from the open door. He looked truly insane, in a way that she had only ever seen in one other person, his aunt Bellatrix.

Her breathing was shallow now and she was running on pure adrenaline. Her eyes repeatedly threatened to roll back in her head but she focused on him and his rage. She had to keep going. She had to make him hurt her.

Her eyes widened as a deranged grin spread across his face and he pushed his hand into the pocket of his tailored suit jacket, only to instantly pull back out, only now he was holding something. She squinted in the darkness and when she figured it out, she frantically shook her head.

"No!" She screamed, kicking and thrashing with her legs.

Draco wasn't having any of it. He sat squarely on her knees, his full weight pushing down on her kneecaps. The moaned in pain and fought with all her strength as he ripped her sleeve from her body, revealing the scar that had been left by his Aunt. He leaned in until she felt his breath on her neck and whispered in her ear.

"Lets finish what my dear old aunty started, shall We?

Once again, she screamed as the cursed knife pierced her skin.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo felt a hand grab his bicep and he stopped, spinning around to find Potter holding a finger to his lips, beckoning him to be quiet.

"What the fuck are you-"

Suddenly, his mouth was covered by a hand that wasn't his own and he was forced into silence. He frowned at Potter and was just about to yank free from his grip when he heard it. A piercing, agonising, heart breaking scream.

He took off sprinting again, stumbling as he collided with wine crates a barrels that had once held gallons of beer. He followed the memorised route to the center of this dank labyrinth with ease, hearing Potter wheezing as he struggled to keep up.

He couldn't stop. The scream echoed around them, making him doubt his instincts. He had no idea what direction he was facing and no idea how far he had travelled. He stopped, feeling Potter run into his back as he waited for another scream. Wincing as he heard it, he tried to ascertain it's origin, but it seemed to be coming from all directions.

He took off again, toward his original goal and came to a section where the lights had been lit. They burned brightly, a stark difference to the previous darkness and he blinked, trying to orientate himself. Expecting a scream, he frowned as he heard a laugh. A maniacal, manly laugh.

"Nott." Harry hissed, "Stop. We need a plan."

"Get in, get her and get out. That's it." Theo hissed back and Harry huffed.

"But how?" Harry asked with a whisper, "What about Malfoy?"

"Kill him. I really don't fucking care!" Theo told him and aimed his wand at the partially open door.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione must have been going insane from torture because she could have thought she heard whispering inside her head. There was no way in hell it could be real. For a start it was two voices that would never meet. Why would Theo be with Harry? It made no sense. She snorted.

"Why are you still laughing?!" Draco groaned and she shrugged, half delusional from blood loss and pain.

"Theo and Harry…" she chuckled as she gazed at draco through blurred eyes.

"Have I finally driven you mad, mudblood?" He asked, grinning.

She didn't get to answer before the door was blown inwards to the centre of the room. Hermione wanted to turn her head to look, but just keeping her eyes open required all of her effort at this point. Her head fell forward, her neck incapable of supporting it as the shouting and voices appeared to be getting further and further away with each passing moment.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo and Harry stood side by side in the doorway to the room, both of their wands aimed solidly at the chest of Draco Malfoy. He froze as he took in the scene, clearly baffled as to how they found him and then quickly flicked his wand up, shooting off a badly aimed curse that missed Theo's head by less than an inch. Theo saw a jet of light fly past him toward Malfoy, deflected by a shield cast just in time.

Malfoy charged at him and threw his shoulder into Theo's chest, knocking the wind out of him but Theo refused to back down. He lunged towards Draco, jabbing his wand at him, shooting stunners and slicing hexes, but draco was quick. He was agile and easily able to dodge the spells that Theo and Harry were throwing at him, somehow managing to get himself between them and the door.

Theo froze as a slow grin spread across Dracos lips and he slowly backed to the door. He knew that once that door was sealed from the outside, there was no way of opening it from inside the room. Throwing himself forward he screamed in pain as Draco slammed the door on his ankle. Bones crushed, he turned to Harry and beckoned him forward desperately.

"Go after Draco. I'll stay here but you have to go." He rasped and Harry nodded, stepping over his mangled foot and out of the door.

Theo watched until he saw Harry turn the corner and disappear from his sight before crawling toward Hermione, dragging his disfigured foot behind him. He snapped the chains that held her up with a spell and lunged forward to catch her as she slumped sideways.

She was slick with sweat and her body was completely limp. Fearing that she might be dead he choked back a sob as he pressed his fingers into the side of her neck, hoping and praying that he wasn't too late.


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo's body slumped when he felt the thump thump thump of an extremely weak but thankfully present pulse. He felt his tears fall from his eyes but his concentration was purely on Hermione and trying to save her life. She was in bad shape.

He lay her flat on the stone floor and cast a lumos charm to give him light to inspect her by, feeling bile rise in his throat as she came into view. His poor Maya. Her left eye was black and completely swollen shut, her nose bleeding and a chunk was missing from her bottom lip. The bastard had beaten her black and blue, the muggle way, as well as doing who knew what with his wand.

With shaky hands he pointed his wand at her and slowly worked on her wounds. He eased the bruising around her eyesocket and fixed her nose. Her lip would take more skill than he possessed so he allowed his eyes to drift down her body, falling next to a hand shaped bruise around her throat. It was bad, but not in need of healing.

The bike in his throat came up with force when his eyes finally fell on the gaping hole in her leg. He lurched away from her and emptied his stomach on the stone floor before returning to her side. He had no idea how to go about healing this injury. Shaking his head and groaning, he tore the sleeve from his shirt and tied it tightly around her thigh to stem the bleeding.

He cast his eyes further down and, relieved to find no more immediate concerns, collapsed next to her, pulling her into his arms. As he ran his hands up and down her arms in an attempt to warm her, his left hand smeared something warm and sticky. Wondering if perhaps her scar had opened up again, he lifted her arm and moved it closer to his face, letting out an animalistic roar at what he found there.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Everything was silent as she was forcibly ejected from the sheer emptiness of unconsciousness and back to the real world. Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself staring straight up at an unfamiliar ceiling. She tried to talk but found her throat filled with a foreign object, making any kind of sounds impossible.

She tried to move her head but no matter how many times she sent the signal, nothing happened. What was going on? Why was she unable to move. She tried her hands, then her feet. Nothing. Beginning to panic, she frantically moved her eyes around and heard some sort of buzzing noise nearby.

She heard a loud bang followed by footsteps coming closer to her and all of a sudden, a grey haired woman appeared directly above her, smiling down at her.

"Welcome back, Miss Granger. Please stay calm, we need to release the paralysis spell that we placed on you." The woman said and Hermione blinked, as it was the only movement she was capable of.

Finally, her body seemed to release all at once. She groaned in pain as her limbs began to shake violently and she felt a potion bring force fed down her throat. She swallowed, quite against her own will, and was relieved to find that her limbs calmed until she was once again still.

"We need to remove the breathing apparatus next, Miss Granger. Are you ready?" The same woman asked and she nodded, thankful for the instant message transfer between her brain and muscles.

She gagged as the woman pulled on whatever was in her throat and gasped for air as it slipped out of her mouth before disappearing from existence. Her throat felt like it had been torn apart and her jaw ached terribly as she moved it for the first time in…Wait, how long had she been here? Slowly, she turned her head, finding the woman and swallowed painfully.

"How…Long?" She rasped and the woman smiled.

"It is the twelth of February, Miss Granger. You have been unconscious for almost six weeks." She said gently and Hermione gasped in disbelief.

"Theo?" She whispered and the woman nodded before leaving the room, followed by the team of people who must have followed her in.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo was laying down on the sofa, as he had been whenever he was home, for the past six weeks. The moon was high in the sky and he had been kicked out of Hermione's hospital room hours ago.

He spent at least 10 hours a day at the bedside of his unconscious girlfriend. For the most part he spent that time alone, but occasionally Harry would show up for a short period of time. Though Theo would never particularly like him, he had to admit that Harry had helped to save Hermione's life, and he was unbelievably grateful for that.

Harry had caught up with Draco just before the blonde crossed the anti apparition barrier of the Manor and, as per Ministry orders for those under house arrest who commit crimes, he had been automatically sentenced to life in Azkaban. It brought a grim smile to Theo's face to think of the Malfoy men, father and son, spending the rest of their lives in cells.

It seemed that the house arrest had driven Draco over the edge of madness, and he had taken after his aunt with a proclivity for insanity. His mother, who had been released from house arrest at the end of December, was found dead in her bedroom in the west wing of the house. An Avada, bearing her own sons magical signature. It seemed that Draco had well and truly lost his mind.

Theo had waited with Hermione for four hours in the dungeon before Harry had managed to lift the apparition wards and had sent a patronus, telling him to get straight to St Mungo's with her. It was lucky that he had got her in when he did, a few minutes later and she would have succumbed to her blood loss and trauma.

As well as the injuries that Theo had found back at the Manor, Hermione had a whole list of injuries all over her body. Her skull was fractured, four ribs were broken, her wrist was smashed and she had bruises on her internal organs. It was a horrific list of injuries and Theo felt sick to remember them.

He sighed as he pushed up from the sofa to stretch his healing leg, which had been almost completely destroyed by the heavy door of the chamber when Draco shut it on his ankle. He needed to do daily exercises to stop it from seizing up and he would have a limp for the rest of his life.

Theo gasped as the floo roared to life and the head of Hermione's main healer popped into view. She was smiling and Theo felt his heart rate increase at the sight.

"She's awake."


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

"Maya?" Theo croaked, his voice full of emotion and Hermione's head span around to look at the door, her eyes wide.

She didn't get a chance to speak before Theo lunged toward her bed and threw himself beside her, tugging her desperately to him. His body was shaking and his breathing ragged as his hands touched her anywhere they could reach. Hermione choked out a sob and clutched the front of his shirt in her fists, pulling him as close to her as possible.

Theo pulled away and urgently pressed his lips to hers. He tried to talk, but his sentences were broken by kisses in his desperation.

"I though I lost you…fucking hell…so scared…please don't leave me…I never told you…how much I love you…"

Hermione allowed him this moment of relief, letting it run it's course until he was calm and laying next to her, his forehead against hers and their tears mixing together, dampening the pillow. Six weeks he had been alone and held him tightly, stroking her hands down his cheeks and through his beard, clearly left untrimmed for some time.

"Theo…" she whispered, "I'm so sorry. It was all my idea."

"No, Maya," he sighed, "My instincts told me something was wrong and I ignored them. I should have taken you home but I kept going."

"What happened to Malfoy?" She asked, stumbling over his name.

"Life in Azkaban. Cell next to his father." He told her and she snorted.

"I told him that would happen." She grinned and he nodded.

"I can believe that." He sighed, glancing down to her left arm, wincing and moaning when he caught sight of her new additions.

WORTHLESS

MUDBLOOD

BITCH

"It's not true." He choked, bringing her arm up and pressing kisses all over the horrific words that would forever be etched on her skin. "I love you, Maya."

Hermione sighed and he looked up into her eyes to see tears threatening to spill over. She was smiling softly at him and she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him up to her, meeting his lips with hers.

"I love you too, Theo." She smiled when he pulled away.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Her healer had informed her that she would have to remain in St Mungo's for another two weeks, due to the severity and number of her injuries, and she spent the days with Theo by her side, keeping her entertained. He brought her a new book every other day and they often spent hours playing Wizards Chess, which they were equally bad at, so the games were insanely long winded and usually ended before anyone actually won.

During the second week after she had woken up, Hermione began to go through physiotherapy to help build up her strength after being kept paralyzed for so long. Her body, it seemed, had forgotten some of its ability to keep her upright and her legs would occasionally give out from under her, leading the healers to recommend she use a cane for some time, something that she was not happy about. It reminded her far too much of Lucius Malfoy, but she would have to cope with it.

On the day before she was due to leave and go home to the Hall, Theo had gone home at lunchtime to prepare the house for her, making it easier to navigate and also to hire a private physiotherapist to help her build up her strength in the pool. It was just her luck that this was the day Harry would show up, gasping when he saw her awake and hobbling around her room, leaning heavily on her cane.

"Hello Harry," she said as he stood in the doorway, gawping at her, "What do you want?"

She heard him sigh as he invited himself into her room and collapsed onto one of the chairs near the bed. She slowly moved over the bed and gingerly shifted herself to rest her leg on top of the sheets. Turning to him, she raised her eyebrow when he looked sheepishly up at her.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." He blurted and then fell silent as she watched him.

"For what? What exactly are you apologising for?" She asked, in no mood to pander to his self pity.

"For not helping you after the funeral." He told her and she snorted.

"It's been three months since the funeral, Harry, and I've spent six weeks of that time laying comatose in here. Why are you here?" She snapped and Harry ran his hands through his hair.

"Because I miss you, in all honesty." He shrugged and she sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You are such an idiot, do you know that?" She asked quietly and he nodded, "No you don't get it, Harry. You have a family who love you, even if they're not blood. My parents died, Ron killed himself, the Weasleys turned their backs on me, hell, even Crookshanks died! And for all the times I've been the only person who remained loyal to you, when even the Weasleys turned against you…. You go and abandon me."

"I'm sorry." He said and turned his gaze toward the floor, ashamed, "I acted like such a coward and it cost you everything."

"Maybe." She shrugged and he frowned up at her, "If all of that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have met Theo again. Somehow, he makes it all worthwhile."

She looked at her oldest friend and noticed for the first time how exhausted he looked. He had big black circles under his eyes and a couple of days worth of stubble covering his chin. She hoped Molly was taking good care of him.

"Do you think we could go back to being friends?" He asked hopefully and she couldn't help the soft smile she have him.

"I'd love to have my friend back, Harry. But you need to know that we will never be how we used to be. Too much has happened. And you need to make an effort with Theo. I love him." She told him seriously and he nodded, smiling.

"I think I can handle those conditions. And Theo's not all bad, he was willing to risk his life for you and that says a lot about the guy." He grinned and she nodded happily.


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY SIX**

Theo watched as Hermione grew stronger over the next couple of months, admiring her strength and determination. The healers had warned that she may need her cane for years to come, but by the start of April, she was only using it when she became overtired or was ill, which caused her body to weaken. He couldn't believe how proud he was of her and he told her so every day.

At the end of the first week in April, the two laid in bed together after a day of check ups at the hospital where they too had been impressed with the speed of her recovery. She put her book down on the bedside table and rolled onto her side facing him.

"Theo?" She asked, smiling shyly at him as he shut his own book and laid down next to her.

"Yes, honey?" He asked and, feeling bold, she leaned in and placed a kiss against his neck, just below his ear.

"Will you make love to me, please?" She whispered, sucking his earlobe between her lips, hearing him breathe out a shaky groan and feeling his arousal against her.

"Fucking hell." He muttered, pulling away from her and searching her eyes, "Are you sure?"

She nodded and he rolled them suddenly, ending up with his legs between hers. He frantically pulled her clothes from her body, eager to get her nude before him, before slowing down and enjoying a leisurely exploration of her body until he was sure she was ready. Finally, when she was already at the tipping point of pleasure, he slowly buried himself within her and they became closer, physically, than they'd ever been before.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo awoke the next morning to find Hermione's side of the bed empty and frowned when he looked at the clock to see that it was close to 10am. Feeling panic well up within him, He quickly jumped out of bed and pulled on some jogging bottoms before leaving the room to try and find her.

He checked the kitchen and lounge first, but there was no sign of her in there. Heading into the pool room, He frowned when she wasn't there either. Giving up on searching, he called for Harvey, who appeared before him almost instantly.

"Master called?" Harvey asked and Theo nodded slightly.

"Do you have any idea where Maya is?" He asked and Harvey gave him a strange grin before nodding.

"Miss Hermione is in the Library." He said and Theo laughed at his stupidity. Of course she was in the library.

Forgetting all about the weird smile that had spread across Harvey's face at the mention of Hermione, Theo left the pool room and crossed into the library in his favorite chair. He dropped a kiss on her head and sat down opposite her, smiling.

"I got worried when you weren't in bed." He told her.

"Hmmm…" she hummed, not looking away from the book in her lap, her face pinched in concentration and her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Uh… Maya?" He asked with a frown and she gasped, looking up at him.

"Oh! Sorry, Theo. I was reading about... Well, I was reading." She smiled sheepishly and his eyes dropped down to the book in her lap, which she promptly snapped shut.

"What are you reading about?" He asked, grinning amusedly and she stood up, taking the book with her.

"Nothing. Just uh… Bonds and… stuff." She muttered, turning away and hurry to put the book back.

But Theo was quicker than her, and he caught up with her and grabbed her around the waist with one arm, snatching the book from her with the other. She groaned and covered her face with her hands as he opened the book and read about…

"Marriage bonds?" He asked, shocked and she shrugged.

"It's just interesting, you know?" She said, laughing nervously and he shook his head.

"No, Maya, please tell me the truth." He asked with wide eyes and she sighed before muttering something under her breath. "What?"

"For fuck sake Theo! I want to marry you! Happy now?" She shouted and he watched, astonished as she walked out of the library, leaving him to wonder why she ran away. Again.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Theo didn't have many good memories of his childhood, but he did have a few, and the all had his mother in them. After Hermione's outburst in the library that morning, he had gone into his bedroom and pulled a safebox out from under his bed, unlocked it with his wand and pulled out the very thing that his favorite memory involved.

He had a memory of being a small and bruised four year old, his mother holding him to her chest during a massively loud and terrifying, at least to a four year old, thunderstorm. In an effort to take his mind off of it, she had told him the story of her mother's engagement ring.

Theo's grandmother had married for love, unlike her daughter who had married for money. His mother remembered seeing her parents always together and always happy. Her father had not been a rich man, and he had to save for over a year to be able to afford a suitable engagement ring to give to his grandmother.

When he had asked her to marry him, his grandmother had obviously accepted, but she also told him off for doing something so silly when she would be just as happy with a piece of string on her finger. His grandfather had told her that if he had to starve for the rest of his life to make her happy, he would.

Initially she had refused the ring, telling him to sell it and buy something cheap for her but he had not backed down and had repeatedly told her that she was worth her weight in gems, so this ring was nothing. She had passed it to her daughter when she had given birth to Theo, hopeful that it would be given to him to give to the woman who stole his heart.

He had honestly believed, while growing up, that this ring would become another family heirloom that had only been worn by one woman. But that was about to change, or at least he hoped so.


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN**

Hermione didn't know why she had suddenly decided that she wanted to start researching marriage bonds, in all honesty. Not that she wouldn't love to marry Theo, but it had never been a topic of discussion between them and they had only been dating for just under six months.

But when she had woken up with him this morning she had briefly imagined being Mrs Nott and her stomach had tied up in knots of anticipation and want. She had suddenly been overwhelmed by the desire to call him her husband and that had led down a black hole of bonding rituals and that took her to the library to do what she did best - research.

She stopped at the edge of the pool as she remembered how she had blown up at him and then once again, run away in embarrassment. She groaned and ran her hands down her face before kicking off the wall towards the opposite end of the pool.

She hadn't meant to shout at him. She didn't do well when she was cornered and she had got all flustered when he kept asking questions. She really hadn't been lying when she had told him it was interesting but she hasn't wanted to put any pressure on him by mentioning the other reason. Then he had pushed and she had…

"Jesus fucking Christ Theo!" She shrieked as she looked up to find him looming over her at the end of the pool. He had scared the living daylights out of her.

"Well hello to you too." He laughed, sitting down on the edge and pulling her between his legs. "Can I tell you a story?"

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

When she nodded, Theo proceeded to tell her all about his grandparents and their love story, leading up to the story of their engagement and her refusal of the ring. She had laughed and said that she probably would have loved his grandmother, and Theo had to agree. He ended the story and she looked up at him.

"How long were they married?" She asked and he smiled brightly.

"103 years." He chuckled and Hermione gawped at him.

"Blimey, that's a long time." She smiled.

"They always blamed it on this." He said, putting his hand into his pocket and pulling the ring out, holding it out on his palm for her. "Depending on how you look at it, they said it was either cursed or charmed for long loves and healthy marriages."

Hermiones eyes were wide as she looked between his face and his hand, before she shook her head and cleared her throat.

"If this is because of this morning in the lib-"

"Its not." He interrupted, "it's because I love you, Maya, and I want you to be my wife."

He could see tears welling in her eyes as she listened and he dropped down from the edge of the pool, sinking into the water, thankful that she was in the shallower part of the pool where the water only came up to his hips.

"Will you marry me?" He smiled and Hermione stood frozen before him for a second before she suddenly threw her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

"Of course!" She grinned, smiling as he pulled her hand from around his neck to put the ring on her finger. Before pulling her in for a heated kiss and dragging her back to their room to celebrate together.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Hermione lay next to a snoozing Theo that night, listening to his soft snoring and gazing at the stunning ring on her finger. Thinking back to the night back in November when all had seemed so lost to her. This man had swooped in to save her from her loneliness that night, but she couldn't help that at some point they had started to heal each other. This wonderful, easy and deep connection between them had formed so easily and quickly that neither of them had seen it coming.

She laughed lightly as she felt the soft fur of Erotas brush against her feet at the end of the bed and tapped her fingers on the sheet next to her, coaxing him to lay down between her and Theo. The cat was huge, now. He was almost a perfect little miniature white tiger and often acted that way too. Ferocious little guy.

Erotas rubbed his nose against her ring and Hermione smiled as she imagined the future for her and Theo. Would there be babies? If so, how many? What adventures would they go on together? Would they be married for 100 years and grow old together in peace? God, she really hoped so.

With Theo by her side, she felt strong and capable. She knew he had his faults and his undeniably dark past, but all of that was a part of him. This complicated man would be her husband, hopefully the father of her children and her rock until death did they part.

Six months ago, she had entered a pub with nothing left to lose. Everything she thought she had was gone and the future was bleak for her. Then he had come along and stolen her firewhiskey, taken her home and given her hope.

 **xxx THE END? xxx**


	28. AN

**NOT A CHAPTE** **R**

 **I've set this as completed at this point purely because it is a good place for the story to come to a close. I have more planned for Theo Hermione and lots more to add to their story.**

 **Whether I do this by adding scenes to the end of this book or by writing a sequel, I'm not sure, but rest assured their story is far from over.**

 **The response to this story has blown me away, honestly. To some authors, the number of follows, fave and comments on this story might not seem like much, but every single one of them means a great deal to me, so thank you to everyone who has enjoyed this one.**

 **Let me know if you would rather I write a sequel or add to this story.**

 **Paula x**


End file.
